Haunted
by Guardian795
Summary: The story of Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Project Zero 2 from the very beginning: from Akane and Azami to Mio and Mayu, and maybe even further. Update: Chapter 12 finally up. The Kurosawa House!
1. Akane's Sorrow

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**_Haunted_**

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By Guardian795

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_Disclaimer: I do not own Fatal Frame, or any of its characters_

_Author's Note: This fan fiction is rated Mature for love between siblings, violence, and disturbing themes. Please, don't be alarmed, just stop reading if you don't like it. This fan fiction is about Fatal Frame 2, from Akane and Azami all the way to Mio and Mayu, and maybe a bit further. These are POV, and other opinions. If you fear spoilers, please stop reading. Thank you._

_Anything said by a ghost will be in italics. Thoughts will be in bold._

§ § §

**Chapter 1: Akane's Sorrow**

_All my life, they say I was destined to be a Twin Shrine Maiden. All of my young life, I was told that I was special. Frankly, I wish now that I wasn't. I stare into the mirror at myself, and I see Azami, my sister, in me. I see her looks, and mine, I see her kindness. I think about her fate, my destiny, and what would happen. Azami is such a happy girl, why must she die…? I'm so upset. She loves me, would do anything for me…and yet…she will die because of me._

"Hey!" Akane looked up at her sister's voice, and closed her journal. She turned around, and Azami walked into the room. Her feet made a slight noise on the wood floor, but she was practically silent in walking. "Do you want me to brush your hair?" she asked. Akane slowly nodded, and Azami bent down behind her, pulling out a brush and slowly pulling it through her sister's long hair. Azami smiled, feeling the softness of her sister's hair in her fingers. She lost her smile then, as she saw Akane's expression in the mirror. She looked so sad. Looking at her other half, Azami softly sighed. She was putting her sister through so much pain, forcing Akane to soon kill her.

"Azami…?" Azami looked down at Akane.

"Yes?"

"You…stopped brushing.." Azami looked down at her hand; Akane was right. "Oh…" she said. "Sorry." She continued to brush, until Akane reached back and stopped her. Azami paused. "What is it?" she asked gently. Akane said nothing, but shot out and grabbed her sister around the waist. Azami gasped in surprise, but then kneeled down and hugged her. "Akane…what is it?" Only her sister's sobs answered her. More worried than surprised, Azami clutched her tightly.

"Don't leave me! I don't care about the village, or the people, or the butterflies! I want you, Azami, I want you!!" Akane cried, burying her face in her sister's chest. Heartbroken by her sister's words, Azami sniffled a little, but stopped. Akane - her reflection - couldn't see her cry. "Is that all, silly?" she asked Akane. Sniffling pitifully, Akane looked up at her.

"You'll always have me, sister. You and I will become one forever…"

"No! That's not what I want!! I want you to stay with me as you are now!" she yelled.

"Girls?" The two sisters looked up to find their father, Yoshitatsu Kiryu, in the window, looking at them. "Papa!" Azami cried as she ran to the window, Akane dutifully following. "Azami, Akane, the priests will be here soon. I came to tell you that I am very proud of you both," their father said. Behind Azami, Akane sniffled. Taking her hand, Azami looked up at her father. "Will you walk with us to the shrine, Papa?"

"Of course," he replied, putting a hand on both of their heads. "I'll be back to walk you both in a little while. Stay strong, Akane." He smiled, a fake smile, to both of his little girls, then left. Azami looked back at her sister, who had stopped crying and just stood there like one of their father's dolls. Azami bent down to look into her face, and found Akane breathing heavily, eyes closed. "Are you…?" she began, but Akane lifted her head and nodded. Akane glanced behind her, hearing the sound of the priests coming. Hearing it too, Azami held her older sister's hand.

"Akane? Let's make a promise." Akane gazed at her sister questioningly. "Let's promise not to cry, for Papa. Let's show them how strong we are. They can't pull us apart – we'll always be together." Akane smiled softly and nodded. The two girls hugged each other tightly, both of them secretly wishing that it didn't have to be this way.

§ § §

The clanging of the priests' staffs soon began to be nerve wracking and annoying, Akane found. Every few seconds, all of them would clang to the ground at the same time as the two girls and their father walked to the Kurosawa House. Azami, beginning to lose her will, began to falter slightly on the path, sometimes jumping at the loud sound of the staffs. Akane took her sister's hand in hers as they walked across the bridge. The priests nodded in approval, which worried Akane. It seemed as though her looking out for her younger sister was looked upon well. Azami got closer to Akane when they started to cross the bridge, fearing the water. She could not swim, and almost drowned when she was younger. Akane slipped an arm around her, the red cord between them symbolizing their infinite bond. Azami smiled at her sister, resting her head on her shoulder.

The house came into view through the evening fog, and the two girls stiffened. Two priests stood at the doors, awaiting the girls. Akane walked up the steps first, followed closely by Azami. The two girls in unison opened the door, then walked down the hall, a bit quicker than the priests. Akane stayed close to the inside of the hall, looking frightened at anything that moved. The house was old, large, and threateningly scary. Azami held onto her sister, trying to comfort both her and herself. The priests led the girls through a series of hallways and paths. They walked down the path quietly, on the sound of the staffs bouncing off of the walls. As they rounded the corner, Azami gasped and grabbed her sister. A Mourner walked forward, then stopped, feeling the presence of the twins. He moved aside to let them pass, but the girls were frozen in fear.

Yoshitatsu stepped forward and nudged the two. Frightened, but glad that their father was with them, the two girls stepped past the Mourner and made their way into the next room. Candles were lit everywhere, their flames dancing in the dim light of the room. The priests took their positions around the room, clanging their staffs. Akane and Azami walked to the center of the room. "The two chosen to heaven…" Azami whispered to calm herself. Akane glanced at her a moment, then saw the head master walk towards them. "Face each other," he said sternly. The girls jumped at his tone, but did not move. "Do as I say," he growled. Azami and Akane glanced at each other. A sharp piece of revelation hit them – these people didn't care. They only wanted to be saved. They didn't care that someone would die here.

Akane quietly whispered, "Everyone's…"

"…gone." Azami finished. Gripping the others hand tightly, they slowly turned to face each other. The head master cut the cord closest to Akane, so it dropped and hit Azami's side. The staffs of the priests began to become louder, quicker, in perfect syncopation with each other. Akane looked at Azami, feeling angry that she had to kill. If she had to kill, why not kill those around them? It would spare them the pain. Akane slowly reached out to her sister, placing her hands on her throat. Azami nodded. "Do it."

Akane began to slowly squeeze, feeling the pulse of her sister beneath her fingers.

_It was soft, warm…alive…_

Azami nodded and smiled, but as Akane squeezed, wetness appeared on her hands. She gasped and looked up at the crying Azami. Angered by her sister's reaction, the promise she broke, and how she didn't want to kill, Akane continued to squeeze, but soon, overcome with sadness, she lessened. The priests skipped a beat in their procession. The ceremony master frowned angrily. Nodding, a veiled priest stepped up to Akane, placing his hands on hers. He pushed down, helping her kill Azami. Akane let go of her sister and hit the priest. "Don't you touch her!!" The man stepped back, awed.

"Akane…I want you to do it…be my salvation…" Azami said. As though in a trance by her sister's words, Akane took hold of her sister's neck and squeezed. With the pounding of the priests' staffs, she began to squeeze harder and harder. Azami gasped below her. Looking at her sister, with her last breath, Azami said, "Thank…you…" She shuddered once, then lay still. Akane slowly let go of her, staring at her lifeless form.

The priests walked forward to take her body. Akane kneeled down and grabbed her sister. "No! I won't let you take her!" Yoshitatsu ran to his daughter. "Akane…"

"NO!!" she screamed. Sobs wracked her body, but the priests took Azami anyway. Akane looked up, only seeing the butterfly marks on her throat. Yoshitatsu helped his daughter up and took her with him to the Abyss. There, as Akane softly sobbed, the priests threw Azami into the dark, gaping hole in the earth. Yoshitatsu took his daughter's hand. "Akane, look," he said quietly. Akane, through eyes filled with tears, saw a small, crimson butterfly leave the Abyss. A ripple of satisfaction and relief went through the priests and ceremony master. Yoshitatsu nodded, walking with the priests to leave.

The butterfly fluttered over to Akane, gracefully touching her cheek. Akane wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled at the butterfly. "Azami…you are…beautiful...Papa was right. You look wonderful…" Akane sniffled. "Oh Azami! Can you ever forgive me?!" The butterfly dipped in the air, and landed on her neck, outlining the new butterfly mark on her throat. It laid there happily for a minute, and Akane took it off, holding it in her hands. Akane fell to her side, holding onto the butterfly. "Azami…I'm so sorry…"

She began to sob. "Forgive me…I love you…"


	2. Kiryu's Demise

**Haunted**

By Guardian795

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_Thank you to all who reviewed the first chapter. I'm trying to go for long and descriptive, so if it takes some time coming up, I'm sorry. I'm also writing a horror screenplay that a friend and I are going to direct, produce, and create. It's going to be hard. Try to bear with me._

_The warning is the same as the first chapter, so, again, if you're a baby and feel the need to run away and cry, feel free. This is rated Mature, though I let it be PG-13 because it's interesting._

_Author's Note: Older here is by the old Japanese standard, which means that the child was born second. Older meant you were born second, younger meant you were born first. Don't be confused, just keep remembering this._

§ § §

**Chapter 2: Kiryu's Demise**

Yoshitatsu Kiryu was visibly upset. In the town, many noticed his sorrowful behavior. Anyone could understand his suffering – his younger daughter had to be sacrificed. But, they noticed how proud and honored he was to still have Akane, the older sister. He was more upset because Akane now refused to eat, sleep, or speak. She would stay in the room she shared with Akane, curled up on her side, crying. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she hardly ever blinked. When her father would try to comfort her, she would not move, and hardly breathe, as though she had become one of his lifeless dolls. Villagers came to see The Remaining, but Yoshitatsu ushered them away. Akane would be more withdrawn than before when others were around. She would never let them into the room where she and Azami stayed. Yoshitatsu needed to find a way to help his daughter. He needed to find a way…

When Yoshitatsu came home, he looked around first. Something always seemed out of place now, in the old house. When Azami was sacrificed, it seemed that all life was sucked out of the house. But something else seemed to be wrong, not just that Azami was gone. He rounded the corner and walked down the hall. A little girl in a violet kimono ran by, her long black hair was the last thing he saw before she disappeared behind the wall. "Akane?" he called. Akane always wore the same violet kimono, like Azami used to. It was Azami's favorite, and Akane's too. Had Akane been out of their room, finally? Yoshitatsu ran down the hall and turned the corner, but no one was there. He continued in that direction until he came to the door at the end. He froze. The door was locked from the outside, just like he had left it. How could Akane have come this way, if the door was locked? His eyes widened. How could she have gone back this way, through this door, if it had been locked?

He unlocked the door, and then hurried to the twin's room. He stopped, peering through an opening in the paper window. Akane was there, sitting on her mat like always, as though expecting Azami to come and sit on her mat beside her. Yoshitatsu sighed. He must have been seeing things. Rather, he must have imagined Azami and Akane playing tag in the house, like they used to. He shook his head, then noticed Akane moving. Her hand was quickly moving in her lap. He opened the door and walked inside. "Akane?" The girl did not answer him, only continued with what she was doing. As he neared her, he saw her writing in a small, violet notebook. Her hand was feverishly scrawling in it, then he noticed that she was writing with Azami's brush. He peered over her shoulder to see what she had written. His eyes widened as he read.

_why__ kill? why kill? why kill?  
why kill? why kill? why kill?  
why kill? why kill? why kill?  
why kill? why kill? why kill?  
why kill? why kill? why kill?  
why kill? why kill? why kill?  
why kill? why kill? why kill?  
why kill? why kill? why kill?  
why kill? why kill? why kill?___

"Akane!!" he cried, grabbing hold of her hand. Instantly, she started to cry, dropping the book and pen. She took her hand back from him and curled up in a ball, continuing to cry. Yoshitatsu, scared that he had actually hurt the frail child, looked her over. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her, but she continued to sob. He let Akane go, and she slowly quieted down to just crying softly. Yoshitatsu stood and walked out. He needed to find something, and now, to help his daughter.

He walked down to his workshop and sat there, looking at his belongings. He sighed softly, not being able to think of what to do. He looked over at all of the doll parts he had, and got an idea. He smiled, pleased with himself. He grabbed some doll parts and set to work.

§ § §

_Akane has become a Remaining. To comfort her, I'll make a doll that looks like Azami. She has been emotionless since the day of the ritual. I'll make the doll look exactly like Azami, so that when they are together, no one will be able to tell them apart._

Yoshitatsu set the doll of Azami down in front of Akane before she woke. He pulled up a mat and sat down, then nudged his eldest daughter awake. Akane woke up, sitting straight. Her eyes widened at the sight of the doll, her sister. "Azami!!" she cried, hugging the doll around the waist. Yoshitatsu smiled. Akane looked at him, and looked more human for the first time in weeks. "Papa…you brought Azami back?" Unable to deny his daughter in that voice, he nodded. Akane smiled, hugging Azami again.

Feeling so proud, Yoshitatsu stood up and walked to the door. He felt like he had actually done something good. But then, he heard something behind him. Sobbing. He turned around and saw Akane crying. "Oh Azami…please, forgive me! I never meant to hurt you!" Akane continued to cry. Yoshitatsu sighed slowly, knowing this would happen. He walked out the door and closed it. Stopping only momentarily to look at his livelier daughter, he saw the doll stretch out its hand and lay it on Akane's hand. Yoshitatsu gasped, then blinked. The doll's hand was still on his daughter's head. He shook his head. He was too tired from making this doll.

_Akane__ never leaves Azami's side for even a second, always whispering things to her. I don't know what she says, but at least she seems to be slowly returning to her former self.  
  
If we didn't have this ritual, Azami wouldn't have become a butterfly, and Akane wouldn't have lost her spirit.___

§ § §

Yoshitatsu came home a week later, feeling happy. Akane was beginning to be like her old self. She ate, talked, and walked around. She only did these things with the Azami-doll, but it was better than nothing. His daughter had her life back. He walked into the house, happy like a young boy. He continued down the main hall, going to the twin's room. He peeked in the window, seeing Akane asleep, a smile on her face. She slept like that now, knowing the Azami-doll would be there when she awakened. He smiled himself, then walked back down the hall to his room. Once he came to the hall that led to his room, he froze. At the end of the hall stood the Azami-doll. "Did Akane put you there?" he questioned aloud. The doll took a step towards him. Yoshitatsu jumped in fright. The doll looked up at him, and the eyes seemed to hold some kind of life to them. _She's mine… _he heard. He quickly turned around and ducked into his workshop, closing and locking the door. He pressed his back against the wall, shivering with fright.

A small banging on the wall began over where the doll was. The banging continued slowly, pounding on each frame of the wall, until it rounded the corner. It continued once more until it got to the door, then stopped. Yoshitatsu backed away from the door, shivering in fright. After a few minutes of no noise, he crawled to the door, sitting next to it. "Hello…?" he called.

_Why…?_ he heard. He quickly moved away from the door once again. **_KiLL_****_ ThAt sTUpId doLL!_**

Azami's voice…but…how? He hurried to the door, opening it. No one was there, not even the doll. He stepped out into the hall and turned the corner. The doll was no where to be seen. He quickly got back into his room, thinking. He quickly grabbed his notebook and began to write.

_Last night, I heard footsteps. I thought it was Akane, but it was really Azami - walking by herself. Akane has spent so much time thinking of her sister, a spirit must have taken over the doll. It is said that when a spirit takes residence in a doll, it can steal the soul of others._

Yoshitatsu quickly set the book down and hurried down the hall to Akane's room. He stopped at the entrance. The doll was on its side, curled up like Akane was, facing her. Yoshitatsu walked into the room, then made to grab the doll. A hand grasped onto his. He looked down, and saw Akane, wide awake, gripping his arm tightly. "Don't touch her…" Akane hissed. Her father sprang back from them. "Akane, the doll, it's…"

"It's Azami, Papa. Why are you trying to hurt her?" His daughter looked up at him with empty eyes. He gasped, realizing what was happening. Akane was being controlled. He scrambled backwards, then ran out the door.

§ § §

_Father brought Azami back. All I could do was apologize. She forgave me. The killing is over now. No more. I'll never hurt anyone again. I'll never let anyone kill again.  
  
Father says Azami has been possessed, and he's trying to kill her. He's trying to kill Azami. I won't let him do it. I won't let that happen anymore._

§ § §

Yoshitatsu was upset. He could hardly leave his workshop, for fear that the Azami-doll would be waiting outside the door. However, that morning, he saw Akane tear up the passageway to the Malice, the X. She took off the head, arms, and eyes, hiding them. But, before he could stop her, the Azami-doll tried to hurt him, so he ran back to his workshop to write.

As he sat there and wrote, he heard something at the door. He slammed his book shut, trembling. Carefully picking up his short sword for defense, he drew it and walked to the door. He stepped out into the hallway, the short sword half-raised. He glanced around, shivering with cold and fright. Cold? How could it be cold? He walked down the hall slowly, keeping his eyes out for Akane and the Azami-doll. As he reached the hallway that led to the front door, it got extremely cold. He shivered again, before hearing a noise behind him. Spinning quickly, there stood Azami. He raised his sword, but then stopped as he heard: **_PaPA_****_…Im sO SOrRy…_**

He lowered the sword. Azami never moved, but her form seemed to blur and fade slightly. A ghost? Azami walked forward, going through him. She walked down the hall, then stopped by a closet. She turned around and looked at him. **_KiLL_****_ tHAT sTupID dOll!_** She disappeared, a crimson butterfly appearing where she stood, then fading away as well.

§ § §

Yoshitatsu found several dolls in the form of Akane in the next week. He hanged them in the opening room to the house, but nothing happened. He couldn't find the actual doll. Frustrated, he returned to his workshop and locked the door like he always did. He was too afraid to go to many other parts of the house, for fear that he would run into Akane and Azami-doll. He sighed, facing the door, then turned around to go back to work. He froze in his tracks. Akane and Azami-doll stood there, holding hands. He couldn't tell them apart. They both took a step forward towards him at the same time, and he jumped in fright.

One of them let go of the other's hand, walking towards Yoshitatsu. She walked to him slowly. Frozen in fear, he gripped the wall behind him. He ran to the door, trying to open it, but it was locked. Locked from the outside. He turned around, and found Akane there, grabbing his throat…

_She's mine now_

§ § §

Days later, Azami stood in the hallway, looking into the twin's room. Akane was hugging the Azami-doll, but suddenly, the doll put its hand on her head. Akane looked up. "Azami, what are you..." The doll began to take her life. Akane gasped, as though drowning, for air. She turned to the side and saw the real Azami, her sister. _We are one, Akane... _

"Azami..." she breathed, before her eyes glazed over. And her sister, her true sister, looked on in sadness.

**Deep within the village, a crimson butterfly wept.**


	3. The Altar Twins

**Haunted **

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By Guardian795

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_The last chapter has never been recorded down, besides what was in italics. Those, if no one noticed, came from notebooks found in the game. Several other parts were pure imagination, so I'm sorry if you didn't like them, but no one knew what officially happened. It's just my rendition. Alright, we all know what's coming now: another set of twins. And, one of our favorites – Itsuki and Mutsuki Tachibana. _

_Remember: Oldest twin means born SECOND! Don't be confused. _

_Again, same warning: some yuri (love), and other things, which is why I warned you all in the first chapter about it being Mature, but brought down to PG-13. This chapter, especially, will have some yuri (we all know why). I hope you all enjoy, though this will be a sad chapter. _

§ § §

**Chapter 3: The Altar Twins**

"Itsuki! Itsuki!" The young girl ran down the dusty path, looking a little frightened. "Mutsuki! Itsuki! Please come out!!" she called. Chitose Tachibana, a young girl of 6, ran down to the Osaka house at the far end of the village, looking for her older brothers of 16. Without them, she was scared. She was terrified of people, and her eyesight kept getting poorer throughout her young years. She was so afraid that the shadows of people she saw would hurt her, and her brothers were her only salvation. Hurrying around the corner of the Osaka house, she knocked into a teenage girl. Sae Kurosawa, the same age as Itsuki and Mutsuki, stepped out of the old house. "Oh, Chitose! I am so sorry!" She bent down and helped the young girl up. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, Miss Sae. Have you seen my brothers?" little Chitose asked quietly, a small smile on her face. She liked Sae, the daughter of the Ceremony Master, Ryokan Kurosawa. Sae often visited the Tachibana family and the brothers, especially Itsuki.

"No, but I have," a voice called from the doorway, as another teenaged girl stepped out. Yae Kurosawa, Sae's older sister looked down at the little Tachibana girl. She too, often visited the Tachibana house with Sae. Sae was afraid to go anywhere without Yae. She would become very uncomfortable, would hardly speak, and would be very pale until Yae came back. Yae, on the other hand, was more outgoing, and never feared if her sister left the room. She would often spend time with Mutsuki, as Sae would speak with Itsuki. Mostly, however, the four would speak all together about their duties as Altar Twins and Shrine Maidens.

"I saw Itsuki and Mutsuki heading for the graveyard. We were about to join them, to pay our respects to the other Shrine Maidens," Yae said.

Chitose glanced around, and then up at the two girls. "May I come with you, Miss Sae and Miss Yae?"

Sae giggled softly, and Yae glanced at her sister. "Of course, Chitose. And please, formalities are not needed. You're almost our little sister," Yae said kindly, turning and heading up the path to the cemetery, Sae at her side. Chitose quickly followed, staying close to the girls, but not too close that they may harm her. Chitose trusted Sae, but not Yae, for some reason. Yae and Itsuki had been speaking in private when Mutsuki and Sae were asleep. They would speak of keys, the big tree in the village, and the Kureha Shrine. Though Chitose could hear better than she could see, she was not able to catch everything in their conversation.

Yae led the two girls up to the top of the hill before the village, looking around. The Shinto Gate nearby was the way into the village, but not the way out. Tough briars and bushes were beyond, and the path was blocked. Yae paused as she looked at the gate. Sae, on the other hand, walked the little ways to the ceremonial stones in the middle and knelt down in the dust. Her head bowed, she reflected on these stones, and their purpose. Yae looked down at her younger sister, coming to her side and helping her up. "Don't do that, Sae. You'll get your kimono dirty," Yae said slowly, dusting off her sister. Sae looked down. "I'm sorry…I was just thinking about the Maidens…"

"Don't ever be sorry, Sae," her sister said, hushing her. "Now, come on. We're not the only ones going to see Itsuki and Mutsuki." Yae took her sister's hand and walked with her to the old bridge. Chitose looked up at the stones, shivering with fright. Every time she looked at those stones, even though it was hard to see them, she felt the emotions of the Maidens long past. Noticing Yae and Sae had gone halfway across the bridge already, Chitose ran their way. "Wait!!" she cried, running down the steep path. She stumbled once, but picked herself up and ran across the bridge.

Mutsuki Tachibana knelt silently near a grave stone, his face hidden by his raven black hair. Itsuki, the older of the two, stood behind his brother, his hands on his shoulders, his ice blue eyes gazing intently at the boy kneeling.. Mutsuki looked up at the stone. "Mother, Itsuki and I…it's our turn…" He paused then, glancing up at his twin. Itsuki's eyes reflected his brother's, and he nodded. Mutsuki turned back to the stone. "I know you're very proud of us, and soon, I'll be a butterfly, and visit you." Itsuki's hands clenched tightly but gently on his brother's shoulders, as his emotions threatened to spill over. It was too soon. Mutsuki put his hand on his reflection's, and stood. "We miss you, Mother."

Itsuki turned his head to the sound of footsteps, and came face-to-face with Sae. She nodded her head solemnly to him. "Itsuki…" she whispered, and then hugged him. Itsuki took her hands from his neck. "I will not have grieving, Sae," he said softly, taking her hand in his. Yae approached Mutsuki and nodded, then glanced at his twin. "Itsuki, Chitose is here." Itsuki's eyes widened – he had told Chitose specifically to stay home today. Chitose came out from behind Sae's skirt, looking sheepish and shameful. Upon seeing his little sister so ashamed for coming, he scooped her up into his arms. "Chitose, you little scamp! Father said that you were to stay inside until the Ceremony Master came to visit."

"Papa said I could go out and play, but I wanted to be with you and Mutsuki," she whispered into his chest, holding onto him tightly. Itsuki glanced at his brother, who nodded. "Chitose," Mutsuki breathed. "Sae and I want to pick some lilies for the villagers. Would you help us?" Chitose gratefully nodded, hopping down from Itsuki. "What about Yae?" she asked.

"Yae and I have not paid our own respects to the Maidens, Chitose. We'll join you three in a few minutes," Itsuki replied. Chitose nodded, happily clasping Mutsuki's hand and walking with him and Sae to the bridge. Yae glanced at Itsuki. "Paying respects?" she asked.

"What else was I to say? Besides, paying respects to those who come before us is the right thing to do, though the ritual is wrong." Yae nodded, Itsuki was right. Akane, Azami, and countless others before them never had a choice in the matter. And soon, Itsuki and Mutsuki would go as well. Itsuki took her hand and led her into the cemetery. "I've been reading several scraps from the libraries, and I found maps of where the keys are," he said, looking back at her. "The three keys are hidden in the Osaka, Kiryu, and Tachibana houses."

"The Kiryu house?!" Yae cried. "Itsuki, it is forbidden to all but the Twin Shrine Maidens and Altar Twins!"

"Which is why I will get the key when I am there with Mutsuki tonight and tomorrow," Itsuki said. At this, Yae paled. For several weeks now, she and Itsuki had been trying to find a way for he and Mutsuki to avoid the ritual. However, this news made her heart sink. Itsuki was not trying to relieve Mutsuki and himself of the ritual. "Itsuki…you and Mutsuki must leave!"

"No, Yae. I have spoken to Mutsuki, and he does not wish to leave. If we leave, you and Sae will receive our fates. Mutsuki…he wants to be a butterfly."

Yae sighed quietly. "I cannot force you, but what about Sae?" Itsuki paused then. The younger sister of Yae meant a lot to him – more than anyone else would ever know, save Yae and Mutsuki. "She won't leave without you, Itsuki…" Yae whispered.

"The ritual…must be performed, Yae…" Itsuki whispered. "Mutsuki…he and I know this…I'm sorry…There is no other way…"

§ § §

Late that night, the Ceremony Master came to the Tachibana House. Ryokan Kurosawa, heavily laden with age, stepped into the room. Mutsuki swiftly grabbed Itsuki's hand – they were terrified of the man. Having a certain air about him, Ryokan could silence a room with a look. This could have been because he was the Ceremony Master and the Master of the Village. Or, it could have been because Ryokan himself was a Remaining. He too, had a twin. For the twin boys, it was because they knew of the horrible deaths he had caused himself – the Crimson Sacrifice and the Forbidden Ritual. Itsuki would constantly say that his hands were covered in the blood of innocents, but no one would listen to him.

Ryokan gazed at the boys, then at Mutsuki. Flinching, Mutsuki stepped back a pace. Ryokan frowned at this, and continued to stare. Itsuki found Ryokan's gaze to be unsettling. He was looking at Mutsuki like he was a cow to be bought and slaughtered for dinner. Ryokan nodded, picked himself up and turned to the Tachibana Father. "The boys need to be cleansed and purified. The Ceremony must begin as soon as possible." Their Father nodded, and Ryokan took the boys upstairs and out the upper door to the Sky Bridge.

The Tachibana House was connected to the old Kiryu House by two bridges. The Earth Bridge and the Sky, or Heaven, Bridge. The Sky Bridge was a walkway that connected the two houses, and the Earth Bridge was an underground passage. **Author's Note: Remember when Yoshitatsu said that Akane took the doll pieces to the passage? He meant that she took the parts to open the Earth Bridge so he could escape and throw the doll into the X. Don't ask me why he didn't take the Sky Bridge – it's probably because the Earth Bridge was closer to his workshop.** These two houses had been connected for a long time. Once the Shrine Maidens (or Altar Twins) would go to the Kiryu House to stay, those in the Tachibana House would move out for a few days, so the twins could be purified and cleansed. The two twins could pass between the two houses, but could not leave, and could not see or be seen by anyone outside.

Ryokan led the boys into the main area of the Kiryu House – Akane and Azami's room. "This is where you two shall stay until it is time for the ritual, which is in two days from this hour. You are not permitted to leave either house, nor are you permitted to see or speak with anyone of the outside. Understood?" The boys nodded silently. "We shall then lead you to the X for the ritual," Ryokan said, no emotion or sympathy at all in his voice. He then turned around and left the boys, closing the door behind him. Mutsuki sat down on one of the tatami rugs and sighed softly. "Itsuki…it's almost time…" he whispered sorrowfully. Itsuki laid his hands on his brother's shoulders. "No, don't say that, Mutsuki. We will find a way…we will…"

Mutsuki only shook his head. Itsuki sighed in pain and desperation. The sad look in Mutsuki's face hurt him more than anything in the world. He turned away, trying to think. "Itsuki, please, don't look away from me…" Itsuki turned back to his brother. "Itsuki…I want you to promise me…that no matter what happens you will help Yae and Sae escape…"

Itsuki stared at his brother. He really had given up hope. His brother wanted Itsuki to kill him. "But…you'll die…you…"

"I may die, but my soul will always be with you. No one can kill me, because I'm you. I will come back as a crimson butterfly to be with you always." Itsuki frowned at this. He knew that the X would never, ever be silenced. People would continue to sacrifice twins, still have the older kill the younger, and still continue to save themselves by killing others. The X would continue to destroy people right and left. There was no escape – and Itsuki knew this for a fact. For his brother to say he'd be a butterfly, it only meant that his brother wanted to stay in this damned, forsaken place. It meant that he wanted to contribute to the sacrifice, to wedge these people further into Hell, though they didn't realize it.

"Itsuki?" Mutsuki called. Itsuki shook the thoughts from his head and gazed at his brother. "Yes?"

"I'm scared…"

Itsuki's eyes grew soft as he gazed at his brother, who shook. Itsuki looked around carefully. "I'm going to go look for some blankets…" he muttered, turning to walk out of the room. "No!" he heard behind him, before a hand desperately grabbed the sleeve of his kimono. He looked back at Mutsuki, who clung tightly to Itsuki, as though for dear life. "Mutsuki…?"

"Don't leave me, Itsuki…Don't leave me alone…" Tears slid down the boy's cheeks, partially hidden by his raven black hair. Itsuki kneeled beside his brother and rested a tentative hand on his cheek. "I'm always here, Mutsuki."

Mutsuki sniffled lightly and rubbed his cheek against his brother's hand. "Soon…we'll never see each other again…I'll never see Chitose again…I'll never see Yae again, or Sae."

Itsuki wrapped his arms around his sad brother, comforting him in his time of need. Mutsuki buried his face in Itsuki's kimono, crying pitifully. Itsuki rested his hand on his brother's back, fighting back his own tears. Mutsuki clawed at his brother's kimono as he lifted his head. "I'll never see you again…" he moaned.

Itsuki's eyes lit with anger. "Don't say that! Never say that, Mutsuki!" he cried in dismay. Mutsuki trembled at his voice, the tears coming down faster. Itsuki paused at the wretched form of his brother, huddled and sobbing. "Mutsuki…I'm so sorry…" he gasped, angry at himself, his words, the truth, the village. It was all so frustrating. He hugged his brother again. "Please, don't cry, I'm sorry for yelling."

Mutsuki had quieted down by now, and quickly wrapped his arms around his brother's waist. Itsuki gasped in surprise, then blushed as his reflection, his other half, rubbed his head into the kimono. He raised his head after a moment and rested it on his brother's shoulder. "Don't worry about being sorry…" he whispered. He pressed his face into his brother's neck, blushing lightly in embarrassment. "I was complaining too much…"

Itsuki sighed softly, looking at his brother. "We'll be together, in spirit, no matter what happens." He held onto Mutsuki as he lay down on his side, onto the soft floor. Mutsuki curled up against his brother, hugging him tightly. Itsuki returned the hug, kissing his brother on the forehead. "No matter what…" he whispered, before he closed his eyes. Mutsuki sighed softly. "Forever, Itsuki," he replied, and they both drifted off to sleep as the sun began to rise.


	4. Tears

**Haunted**

By Guardian795

-

_Now, while I was writing the last chapter, I came across a few things online. So, me being the thinker, I'm going to try to give my own rendition of these mysteries in later chapters. Also, so everyone knows, I'm trying to stick as close as I can with the storyline and the facts given. I've looked through so many sites for information and such, just to stay on top of the story. Great site for all of you Fatal Frame fans is probably: _**Beyond the Camera's Lens. **_Type that into Google, and you'll get something._

_This site has a lot of information on the characters and the storyline. However, they don't really explain the rituals and such in detail. When I start the story with Mio and Mayu and begin to talk more about these rituals, I'll post the link to another great site I know. _

-

_Yes, the last chapter was pretty sad. This chapter is a continuation of the Tachibana Twins' story, adding in some of the days after the ritual. Some of this stuff will be pretty depressing from here on in (then again, my friend tells me that the entire story is depressing x.x;; ) So, be warned: depressing content, yuri (love), and some stuff like that. I'm also looking for people to tell me, in a little survey, which ending they want me to do at the end. _

_The Easy/Normal Ending, Hard/Nightmare Ending, or the Xbox Ending? I actually think I'll write all three, and label them as "Ending 1" and "Ending 2". Just, in your reviews, write what you think I should do._

§ § §

**Chapter 4: Tears**

_If we perform the Crimson Sacrifice, then Yae and Sae will not need to go through with the ritual. But if our ritual fails, they will be the only ones left for the next sacrifice. I have to get Yae and Sae out of this village. The horror has to stop. There has to be another way. I cannot let Yae and Sae suffer like this...  
The old passageway under Kureha Shrine has been sealed ever since some twins tried to escape through there long ago. The Ceremony Master said they were killed by a cave-in during their escape. Concerned, the Ceremony Master sealed the Old Tree which enshrines the Remaining._

_Although the path is sealed, a passageway still leads out. Opening the seal should make it possible to leave the village. The pinwheel keys that open the seal have been handed down through the families of four Veiled Priests. I was able to find the pinwheel for this family in the storehouse. After passing through a passageway, you only have to run through the forest and remember to never look back. But will those two have the willpower necessary?_

_Mutsuki is too weak to run away, and there is no way I can carry him. He said he'll forgive me no matter what happens. He does not want Sae and Yae to suffer either.  
I promised him that I would help Sae and Yae escape after the ritual. Mutsuki will remain here as a butterfly. I plan to remain here in the village with him too..._

Itsuki closed his notebook and leaned his head back against the back wall. Today was the day. He had until about two hours before midnight to be with Mutsuki…before he would never see him again. _It wouldn't be all bad_, he thought. _Mutsuki would be a butterfly, and I'd see him in the village. He'd always be there. But…_

But he wanted Mutsuki to be here with him. He wanted to grow old with Mutsuki. He wanted to share his memories and thoughts with him. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life in a village with a lone butterfly. Itsuki looked down at his brother, who still slept. As he sighed, he got up and left the room hoping Mutsuki would not wake up before he returned.

As Itsuki began to wander the empty and forlorn hallways, his thoughts wandered to the twins who had once lived in this house – Akane and Azami Kiryu. After Azami was sacrificed, Akane went mad and killed her father. Her soul was taken by the doll of Azami, who in turn tried to kill others, but the doll was destroyed and left in the house, now uninhabited and in ruins. Though twins have spent their time there, none have been attacked by any doll. In fact, none of the dolls found their look like Azami's doll. The doll just…disappeared. But, several twins have said that they heard strange voices and things in that house. The twins were scared, though, of what happened to the unfortunate girls and their father.

Itsuki shook his head. Such a tragic thing to happen, especially to a Remaining. He thought that the Ceremony Masters would learn, then and there, to stop the ritual…but they didn't. They put more emphasis on it, and how the Remaining should have a better relationship with their new soul. How such horrible antics should even continue was beyond him. And soon, he would have to participate in it, by killing his brother, his twin, his other half.

Consumed by his sadness, Itsuki stumbled in the hall and knelt down, leaning against the wall. He held his head in his hands, resisting the urge to sob. His childhood had revolved around his brother, being with him and being happy. The years just before he became a teenager were spent tending to Chitose, their baby sister, at the time. Then they met Sae and Yae, doomed to the same fate as them. The Ceremony Master, Ryokan Kurosawa, Yae and Sae's father found that the coincidence that his twin daughters and the Tachibana twins being born in the same year was remarkable. But, it was taboo. Two sets of twins being born in one generation? It was unheard of, and had never happened. However, it seemed lucky. Two Remainings, if needed, would be in the village to protect it.

Itsuki sighed. He saw nothing lucky about having to kill his brother. He buried his face deeper into his hands. Why him? Why now?

"Itsuki?" He swiftly lifted his head to Mutsuki leaning over him. "Mutsuki…I…"

Mutsuki leaned over and hugged his brother. His older half blinked in surprise. "Mutsuki…I'm sorry I walked off…" he muttered uselessly.

"Itsuki, don't beat yourself up so!" his brother cried. "You needed to walk, so you walked. Don't be sorry for something so small…"

"…But so meaningful to you," Itsuki finished. The brothers looked at each other then hugged fiercely. It was almost over for them, they would soon be separate. All they could think of, at that moment, was themselves, and what was to come. A tear slid slowly down Itsuki's cheek as he heard a noise at the door, and saw the bottoms of a dark robe…

§ § §

Itsuki and Mutsuki held hands as they slowly walked down the rocky pathway to the ritual. Ryokan Kurosawa and the priests stood on all sides of the twins, in case of an escape. Mutsuki quickly grabbed hold of Itsuki's arm in desperation as they passed a caved-in wall. Itsuki sighed lowly. Ryokan had told them of two twins who had tried to escape…and who were caught in a cave-in. Itsuki shook his head in sorrow, patting his reflection's hand. Ryokan led the boys to the open space of the ritual, the thousands of candles burning in a never-ending blaze. Ryokan ushered the boys to the large, white symbol painted in the middle of the floor, around a semi-circle of candles. The priests took their places on the outskirts of the candles, and the Mourners stood underneath the Shinto Gate to the X.

"Face each other," Ryokan said nonchalantly, as though he were asking about the weather. The twin boys faced each other, looking like mirrors of each other. Ryokan moved to Itsuki's side, cutting the red cord. Itsuki flinched, as though the red cord was one of his veins. His eyes pleaded with Mutsuki's, pleading for an end to this immortal torment. _And his hands weren't even on Mutsuki's neck. _

Ryokan stepped aside, letting Itsuki and Mutsuki come together. Itsuki's hand trembled at his sides. The priests began to pound their staffs into the ground, again and again. Itsuki felt as though the pounding was his head about to burst. "Mutsuki…" he groaned.

"No," Mutsuki snapped. "You must. You must do it now, or we will forever be haunted by this." He took Itsuki's hands and put them around his own neck. "Mutsuki!" Itsuki cried. Mutsuki glanced at him. "It's alright! It won't hurt me, just do it."

Itsuki slowly nodded, before his fingers applied pressure to his brother's throat. As the pressure grew on his throat, Mutsuki's legs buckled under him, and he came down, Itsuki coming down with him. Itsuki's eyes overflowed with tears, looking like tiny stars in the candlelight. "Oh Mutsuki…" he moaned pitifully. He saw how much pain he was putting his brother through, but he knew that if he stopped, he would never be able to start again. He would not let his brother go through such pain. Mutsuki smiled through his pain, as Itsuki pushed harder, straining to end it now, to give his brother freedom. "Itsu-…I…love…love you…" he whispered painfully.

Itsuki pushed harder onto his brother's throat, feeling his twin's pulse beat under his fingers. The pulse began to slow to a low drumming beat, then a patter, and finally, it stopped. "I love you…Mutsuki…" he sobbed. He released his brother's throat and buried his face in his hands, screaming to the heavens to bring his Mutsuki back. As he took another gulp of air, he could feel the sympathetic strangulation mark he now wore on his throat. Tears rolled down his face and neck as the Mourners took Mutsuki's body away. Itsuki stumbled to his feet and hurried after them. He would not leave his brother now.

The Mourners, followed by Itsuki, Ryokan and the priests (in that order), proceeded to the X, where they threw Mutsuki's limp and fragile body into the dark depths below. Itsuki stared at the X from afar. He knew what would happen now. He would see his beautiful Mutsuki come out from the X as a crimson butterfly.

**But it never came. No butterfly left the X. **

For several minutes, Itsuki stared at the X, and when nothing came out, he turned frantically to Ryokan Kurosawa, who was also staring at the X. He hissed in anger, and turned his back on the scene. "Failure!" he muttered in anger, walking up the steps and away from the ritual grounds. Itsuki turned back to the pit in disbelief. Failure? How?

The boy collapsed on his knees in anguish, then onto his side. All the pain he had put his brother through, all of the horrible days of eternal torment by gazing at the boy who now lay dead in the pit – it had all been for nothing. The ritual was a failure; Tachibana had failed. He continued to sob until he fell into oblivion, his mind reeling from shock.

§ § §

Itsuki woke up on his side in his house, on his mat. Correction – Mutsuki's mat. Itsuki sat up, his eyes threatening to spill over tears. He slowly stood and walked to the mirror at the other end of the room, to inspect the hurtful mark on his throat. However, as he gazed into the mirror, he was met with Mutsuki's face in his. He gasped as the reflection seemed to cry out, _why did you let me die? _

With a cry, he flung himself away from the mirror, but in his frenzy, he knocked it over. It landed with a loud thud beside him, on its side. Itsuki covered his head with his hands, then slowly looked at the mirror again. He saw himself this time, but something was wrong, different. His gaze floated up to his hair. It was white!

He gasped as he peered at his new hair color. He had been told that sometimes, when a twin suffers from shock, their hair can turn white, but it had not happened for several years. Until now, that is. Itsuki's hair had become pure white overnight. He sobbed angrily. Even now, he could feel Mutsuki's angered soul, crying out for why he had been killed.

"Itsuki?" a small voice called. He raised his head and came face-to-face with little Chitose. She stood there in a silky blue kimono, small tears running down her cheeks. "Chitose? What's wrong?" he asked quietly, motioning for her to come to him. She hurried over to him and grasped hold of his waist with all of her young strength. He scooped her up into his arms and held her. "What happened, Chitose?"

"I heard something…and I was frightened…and-and-and…" she stuttered, then started to sob in earnest. Itsuki held her while she cried, and his guilt came back to hit him full-force. How could he let her down, leaving her to participate in that sacrilegious ritual? And once there, how could he kill his brother? How could he fail?!

Chitose sniffled and looked up at her unmoving brother. "Itsuki…where is Mutsuki? Is he with father? Is he in the bathroom?" she asked. Itsuki stared at her, not able to grasp her question fully. He took a deep breath and finally thought about it. What could he tell her? He swallowed hard, the butterfly mark paining him. "Mutsuki…is gone…" he choked out, his eyes beginning to water. "And he's not…coming back…" he whispered, a large lump in his throat. The little girl in his arms buried her face in his kimono and sobbed uncontrollably.

"He didn't even say goodbye!" she cried, the tears running down in torrents on her cheeks. Her white haired brother only grimaced. He didn't think she'd be so upset…he didn't want to cause her so much pain. He puts his arms around her and hugged her. Chitose began to sob. "Now that he's gone…Yae and Sae will have to do the ritual for you…" she whispered, and Itsuki started. The promise! He may not be able to help Mutsuki now, but he would most certainly make sure that the Kurosawa girls would not suffer the same fate.

He looked out into the darkness and saw the first tendrils of dawn. He wouldn't have much time…if the X was to be appeased, the Kurosawa twins could be sacrificed very soon. He needed to work quickly, starting at dawn. He had so much to do…and he didn't know how much time was left.

_Mutsuki…I'll keep our promise…I will protect Yae and Sae at all costs. I will get them out of the village if I must die trying. _


	5. The Kusabi

**Haunted**

**-**

By Guardian795

_Alright, a couple of notes from the last chapter. First, the ritual failed because of a couple of reasons, in case anyone was wondering. It failed because: Itsuki and Mutsuki loved each other more than anything else (neither one of them had any regret towards the other), and because Mutsuki (the one sacrificed) was not willing, but only did so for Yae and Sae. _

_Itsuki's hair turned white from shock. This has been known to happen, failure or not. Ryokan Kurosawa also has white hair, but it's unknown whether or not this is from old age or from shock of the ritual. _

_Okay, now, just for fun, I have the meaning to some names in this chapter:_

**Names  
****  
Yae - Multi-fold  
****Sae - Heavy Gossamer  
****Ryokan - Generous God _(Hmm, how appropriate…)_  
****Itsuki - Timber Moon _(Also ironic, moon being silver and his hair being white…)  
_****Mutsuki - Harmonious Moon _(It also says that Mutsuki is a girl's name…heh…)  
_****Chitose - A thousand years/A thousand opportunities _(Also ironic, as you'll see later_)  
****Akane - An orange-reddish color, like madder _(Also ironic, seeing how Akane was mad at her sister for not wanting to kill)_  
****Azami - Thistle, like the plant  
****Yoshitatsu - Virtuous Skill  
****"Kusabi" - Wedge  
****Seijiro Makabe - Purify/Cleanse Next Son (First Name) / Wall of Truth (Last Name) **

_I'll add the house names later, along with the next set of names. Now, as for the chapter: the next chapter will be the last before we move on to a more present day. This time, right now, is around _**1860-1889**_. Just so no one is confused, especially because of the kimonos and such. This chapter will be confusing, because I don't want to give away what eventually happened, for all those who have not played the game, or for those of you who have only started._

_There is to be some romance in this chapter, and a lot of sadness. Be warned._

**Note to kickassangel: I will update with or without 4 reviews. Don't you worry!**

§ § §

**Chapter 5: The Kusabi**

All God's Village was beautiful at night. The moon would gracefully light the beautiful trees lining the houses, especially the blossom tree at the Kurosawa house. Its brown branches would stretch out in the winter time like hands, wanting to pull people into the house. In the summer and spring, the blossoms were a natural decoration to the most powerful house in the village. The blossoms would beckon the villagers to the house, where Ryokan Kurosawa, or the master, would serve tea, and chat about things like the weather. He'd talk about his young girls, and how proud he was of them. But, now that it was fall once more, one by one, the blossoms died off and fell from the tree, like all of the twins that had died because of the village, because of the ritual.

Yae Kurosawa opened the door to the outside of her house, being so careful not to wake anyone, including her sister. She slipped out of the door and hurried across the wooden bridge. Once out of the vicinity of her home, she was able to breathe easier. Her father would be so angry at her…Sae would be so disappointed…

Yae shook her head and ran through the village, hurrying up the hill near the shrine. As she crossed the gate that led to Kureha Shrine, she stopped and looked up, as though someone was calling her from the shrine. She knew what it was – the cries of the twins long before, telling her to complete the ritual that would be so soon in coming. The ritual that would appease the pit, after Tachibana's failure. She hesitated a moment, then ran up the small hill to an old tree with a hole in it. She ducked inside of its mouth, feeling drawn to the lights inside.

Itsuki raised his head as he heard Yae run in. He had been kneeling on the soft earth, letting his mind wander to his dead brother, and the promise he had given. He stood quietly and turned to the panting Yae, who looked ready to drop from exhaustion. He moved closer to her and helped her to a stone, letting her sit.

"Itsuki…this is so dangerous! If I am caught, we will never see each other again before the ritual, and if you are caught, you may be killed!" she exclaimed.

"Death would be welcomed, Yae," he whispered. "It's been almost a year since he has gone, and still he haunts my very being!"

"Mutsuki was carried to heaven on the wings of a butterfly," she said quietly. "He is in…in a better place…" She choked on her words, feeling the tears rise. Her good friend, Mutsuki, the man she would have one day married, if given the chance, was gone. He may have been in a better place, but he was not with her, no matter what anyone said.

"And he would be here, as a butterfly, if it wasn't for me. Yae, I promised my brother that I would have you and Sae escape from this ritual. It was his wish not to let anything happen to you," Itsuki said solemnly, putting his arms around his dear friend. "Mutsuki is gone, but you and Sae will not suffer what we had to suffer through."

Yae hugged the white haired boy, comforting both him and her through this tragedy. "Itsuki…my father…he will surely find out!"

"No. We have kept this a secret for almost two years. He will not find out," the boy said angrily. "That horrible man…he will tell you that you must complete the ritual for him, but he has already damned himself to hell! He wears the blood of the innocents from ages and ages past, and he will soon wear the blood of his own children if we do not get you and Sae out of here!"

She nodded lightly. "Sae and I will be given the rope soon, Itsuki. When we run, how will we cut it?"

"I will cut it."

"What?! That is taboo!"

"Taboo has done nothing to me, and it cannot hurt me or Mutsuki now. It can't hurt you or Sae either, if you get out."

Yae nodded, resting her head on Itsuki's shoulder, a tear escaping her eye. It would soon be over, their friendship. Itsuki did not want to follow them out of the village, and he was her only friend, her last tie to the Tachibana family and the love she felt for both of them. The white haired boy put his arms around his friend and they both sat there in the tree, crying silent tears of their love and sadness, as they waited for an end to the pain.

§ § §

"Oh, Yae! The blossoms are dying!" It had been two weeks since Itsuki and Yae cried at the tree, and since, the blossoms on the tree outside of the Kurosawa House began to fall: two to five a day. This upset Sae greatly, because the blossoms were her favorite color, pink. Yae preferred the blossom tree in the cemetery, which had white petals. _White…a symbol of innocence, purity…and death._ White, the color of their kimonos now, so soon to the ritual.

Ryokan walked outside and spotted his daughters. The younger, Sae, was picking up one of the dead blossoms, and Yae was sitting quietly nearby. She couldn't go much further, for the red cord around her waist and Sae's was not long at all. Ryokan came to his two daughters. "Girls, there are visitors in the village."

Yae glanced up in alarm, but Sae looked happy. "Visitors? Oh, Papa, can they stay with us? We could treat them very well."

"Yes, Sae, they will be staying with us." Yae's eyes widened in horror. "Sae, Yae, go get ready. The villagers are sending our visitors to the house now." Yae and Sae bowed to their father and went inside. As they scrubbed their faces and hands, Sae smiled. "People visiting…can you believe it?!"

Yae only shook her head. She walked with Sae back outside, where they stood behind their father and waited for the two men to come closer after they closed the large doors to the house. One of them was much younger, maybe 18 or 19 years. The other was much older, around 30. The two men walked closer to Ryokan and the girls. The older man bowed. "My name is Seijiro Makabe, and this is my young assistant Ryozo Munakata. We have come to study this village."

"Of course, gentlemen," Ryokan said, bowing. Ryozo, the younger of the two, glanced over at the young teenage girls with black hair and almond eyes. Sae gave a slight smile, then bowed her head. Yae looked up at the young man. He reminded her of Itsuki, before his hair turned white. She gave him a frightened and anxious look, then bowed her head as well, beside her sister. As Yae glanced out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a blossom fall from the tree and land on Seijiro's shoulder.

"Come, Mr. Makabe and Mr. Munakata. We have rooms for you. Yae, Sae, show these gentlemen to their rooms. I need to speak with someone about the Kusabi…," Ryokan quietly said, walking past them. The young girls took the men to their rooms. Sae stood behind Yae as they watched the men look around.

"Yes," Seijiro said. "This will do nicely. Since we'll be in the main house of the village, we can learn about the ritual. The ritual that cannot be seen."

Yae gasped suddenly, hearing this. Ryozo turned around to her. Yae covered her mouth and meekly said. "Oh…I…I though I saw a mouse…" The young man nodded, and Yae blushed. His eyes were so soft towards her, like he had known her for many years. But then she thought of Itsuki and frowned.

"Ryozo, help me unpack. I'm going to take some pictures of the house later, and I don't want to have to do all of the unpacking afterwards," Seijiro said. The young man nodded and helped his teacher, while Yae and Sae bowed and skittered out of the room. Yae hurried with Sae into the village, to the Tachibana house. She banged on the door until Itsuki came out, who seemed terribly tired.

"Yae…?"

"Itsuki, two visitors are here!" The boy blanched.

"Where?" he immediately demanded, his voice soft, unbelieving.

"The Kurosawa house…my house…" she whispered. Itsuki's eyes grew narrow, hardening like icicles. He glanced behind Yae to Sae, who seemed confused. He returned his gaze to Yae, who seemed frightened; not just because of the new visitors, but because of Itsuki. He nodded slowly and retreated inside. The girls stood, frozen in confusion, before Itsuki came back with a piece of paper. "Yae…give this to the man. Do not show it to anyone else, and keep it hidden. Now, hurry. We shall speak later," he reassured her, then closed the door.

Sae glanced at her sister. "What did he mean, 'later'?" she asked. When her sister did not answer, "Yae?"

Yae glanced at her younger twin. "Let's go. You heard him." She took Sae's hand and ran back to their home, hoping that her father had not been to see the men yet.

§ § §

That night, it began to rain. At first, it was soft, pattering on the roofs of the houses in All God's Village. But soon, the rain turned into torrents of tears from the gods, and it nearly flooded the village. Yae had to slip and slide across the wet bridge to see Itsuki, who also was soaked. She hurried into the oak tree, coughing and sputtering from nearly drowning at the bridge. Itsuki walked over to her and put his hands on her arms. "Are you alright?" he softly asked. She gazed up at him. "I should be okay, in a minute or two."

Itsuki nodded, leading her over to the candles. As they sat down, he put a hand on hers. "Yae…these men…if they do not get out tonight, we cannot save them. I cannot stop your father, nor can I stop the priests. Did they take the note?"

"Yes," she replied, smiling. "They read it and understood."

"We can only hope…and pray…" he said quietly, but sounded relieved. Yae however, looked down sorrowfully. "We'll never make it…" she whispered. The white haired boy looked down at the girl. "What?" he asked. Yae did not answer. He leaned his head down towards her face, and found a small tear slowly making its way down her cheek. "Yae…"

"We'll have to go through the ritual…I'll have to kill her…"

At this, Itsuki's eyes widened in horror and he quickly grabbed her by the arms, roughly. "No!" he cried angrily. Yae's head snapped up, and she looked frightened at him. "You will not kill her!"

"Itsuki…you're hurting me…"

"I promised him, I promised, Yae!! You and Sae will escape! It won't ever happen again, EVER!" he shouted, shaking her with the anger he had felt for so long. Yae's eyes looked at his icy ones, as tears spilled over and dripped onto her already wet kimono. Itsuki finally calmed down enough to look at the young woman who he had hurt. She cried softly, partly from fear and hurt, but also from her sadness about the ritual.

"Yae…did I hurt you…?" he asked. She shook her head, but the crying continued. He put his arms around her and hugged her. "I'm so sorry…" he whispered in her ear. Yae rested her head on his chest, letting him hold her. She slowly wrapped her arms around his waist after a minute or two, smiling through her tears. Itsuki looked down at her and blushed. He had not felt these feelings since he and Mutsuki had been together with Yae and Sae. "Yae…Mutsuki…he loved you…" he said quietly.

"I know," she said softly. "I loved him too…but he's gone…"

Itsuki looked down at the girl, and seriously thought about his feelings. Had he been in love with Sae this whole time? Or…was it Yae he was in love with, but could never bring himself to take her from his brother?

Itsuki swallowed and gazed at the girl. "He is gone…" he affirmed. "But…I'm still here…" Yae looked up at him in surprise. Taking her chin gently with his hand, he lifted her head up, and leaned his down, until his lips touched hers. Yae gasped in surprise, but she soon returned the kiss. She tasted Mutsuki in Itsuki.

When they came apart, they looked at each other in surprise. "Itsuki…" she whispered.

"Yae…"

"What have we done?" He started back a bit, alarmed. "I have betrayed Mutsuki…" she said.

"No…" he replied, taking her hands. "Mutsuki is gone…he wanted you to be happy…"

"And you make me happy," she replied, smiling. He embraced her, letting her rest her head against his chest. They leaned back against the rocky wall, and waited for morning to come, not caring if anyone found them.

§ § §

_The Malice coming from the X is getting stronger. I've searched, and there is no record of it getting this strong in the past. Recently, poor harvests and deaths have begun to increase. The time of repentance for Tachibana's failure to perform the ritual is drawing near._

_Half of the Mourners were driven mad by the Malice and jumped into the X. We must prepare more Mourners, we'll use the sinners. If we don't do something, the X will overflow in a few years._

_An Outsider visited with perfect timing. I'll use him for the Hidden Ceremony, and pacify the X. We must ensure he doesn't escape before that._

§ § §

Yae believed that Seijiro Makabe and Ryozo Munakata had left. They had not. Seijiro was debating on whether or not to leave, and Ryozo was seriously considering bolting for the door and running for his life. The older man sat at the foot of his bed and thought about this for a long time. He had been longing to see the Forbidden Ritual, the Hidden Ritual, for a long time, ever since he heard the rumors.

But Ryozo, his young charge…he could not endanger the young boy. He turned to Ryozo and handed him the paper Yae had hurriedly given to them. "Ryozo, I want you to take this and follow the map there. I want you to take your things and leave."

"But, Mr. Makabe…"

"Don't. I was put in charge of you, and I will not endanger you. If this is a hoax, I will bring back many pictures of the Hidden Ritual once I return. If this is not a trick, then you will be glad that you are alive," Seijiro said. The young man lowered his head.

"Mr. Makabe, I want to work with you…" Ryozo said pitifully.

"I admire your spirit, Munakata, but it is no use arguing. You will leave tonight."

Ryozo did leave that night. He escaped through the second exit from below the house, and got out before Ryokan came to their room. Seijiro was writing, trying to think of why Yae would push them to escape. Ryokan entered the room, followed by several priests. Seijiro stood and looked over at the old ceremony master. "Mr. Makabe, come with us. Where is the young Munakata?"

"I sent him home," the man said. "His mother was getting worried."

"Come with us," Ryokan said again. "Do not bring your things with you." Seijiro stood and did as he was told, following Ryokan as he took the man to a dimly lit room. Two priests grasped hold of Seijiro's arms roughly. "What is the meaning of this?!" The two priests half-dragged, half-pulled the man through two small double-doors in the middle of the room. Another priest walked before them, opening a small door at the bottom of a wooden cell. They through Seijiro in there, and shut the door. Ryokan and another priest locked the cell tightly with two keys. Seijiro stood up and came to the door. "Mr. Kurosawa, what is going on?!"

"A Kusabi is needed, Mr. Makabe. You are perfect for such a role. I hope you shall be comfortable until we return," Ryokan said, then left with his priests. Seijiro sat down, sighing. He looked around and spotted several books along the walls. He grabbed an empty one, and took out his spare brush, beginning to write.

**Even if no one should read this…I know it must be told. I shall die in this place, I know I will. However, so this does not happen to anyone else, I shall try to warn people. Several of my notebooks are still around the village. I hope someone will find them, and read them. If not, I shall hope that Ryozo shall find them, and know what has happened to me…**

**_-_**

_The Ceremony Master, Mr. Kurosawa, gave me a very warm welcome. The village has no "chief". The Ceremony Master presides over the village. I wonder if this village was founded by people who wanted to preserve their sacred rituals and festivals? _

Most notable among All God's folklore is the "gate to hell" lengend that has been passed down for years. It is an archetypal tale of a gate or hole that marks the border to the world of the dead, also called Hades, the underworld, or the netherworld.

It is a forbidden place that is feared and hated, but it is also worshipped as well. The idea of hell has been a core belief of humans since ancient times. This village supports the theory that the belief is universal.

The Forbidden Ritual regarding this "gate to hell" that takes place here is something no one is allowed to see or speak of. This strict taboo is probably the result of a ceremony concerning the border with hell coming closer to the living world.

Villagers lead a simple life. Deep in the mountains, they struggle to forage food for their daily meals. The village has little contact with the outside world. They continue to practice the ways of old, frozen in time.

_Activity outside the cell is bustling. It seems that the Hidden Ceremony is very near. I hope Munakata made it out of this village. _

If the "gate to hell" known as Hellish Abyss really does exist, I will be able to see it with my own eyes tomorrow. Even if I am to be thrown into it as sacrifice, I am at least happy that I can see this forbidden place at last.

§ § §

Two days later, Yae and Sae sat in the tea room, drinking, until they heard a noise outside their room. Yae got up and went to the door, opening it slightly, and gasping at what she saw. 10 priests, one on either side of Ryokan Kurosawa and Seijiro Makabe, walked down the hall, the two men in the middle following. Yae looked over at Sae, then took her hand and hurried down the hall, heading a different way, towards the back hall. Sae looked at her sister. "Yae…where are we going?" she called. Yae did not answer, only pulled harder on her sister's hand as she ran. She took her sister through the far hall, and into the sacred room. She hurried to the upper stairs, hiding there until the priests passed once more, heading downwards. Yae and Sae took the other path, following them until the other people reached the ritual site. Yae and Sae stood by the door, watching them. Together, the priests tied the man up and lifted him off the ground, suspending him in the air by ropes.

"The Kusabi must appease the X…" Ryokan said, pulling out his whip. A priest nearby held out Ryokan's katana, holding it aloft in his hands. Sae gasped and turned away as Ryokan began to slash Seijiro several times. The man's blood fell into a small basin at the bottom. Yae stared at the scene, never turning her eyes from it. Ryokan continued to torture the man, until he was near death, before stopping. The ropes were cut, and the priests carried the man downwards, to the X. Yae followed with Sae carefully. At the end of the passage, they stood before the room, as the Mourners brought the man to the pit. Yae looked over at Seijiro, upset that she could do nothing. The man smiled. "I have finally seen the Forbidden Ritual with my own eyes…" he whispered. "I will now be able to see the Abyss as well." The Mourners only dropped him in, and his body disappeared.

The X rumbled, but Ryokan nodded approvingly. "It was successful," he said, turning to leave. Sae grabbed Yae and pulled her away from the door, hurrying her older sister back to the upper surface.

**Oh, Itsuki…You were right…Wewere all damned from the beginning...**


	6. Promise

**Haunted**

-

By Guardian795

_Author's Note: Well, here it is, everyone. The chilling conclusion to part 1 of the fan fiction. A little recap from the last chapter: Itsuki has told Yae that he loves her. Seijiro Makabe was sacrificed as the Kusabi, and Ryozo Munakata has fled from the village. _

_The time for the ritual has come. Yae and Sae are to be sacrificed, and Itsuki has a very little chance of getting them out because Ryokan Kurosawa is constantly watching. For those of you that have played the game, you know most of what will happen here, but I've added a few twists. I won't give away what happens to the girls in the end, because it would ruin the surprise for those who have not played the game yet. _

_Now, this is the last chapter before we move on to a more recent time period. The time period right now is 1875-1889, so it would explain the beliefs and the kimonos. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, though it will get confusing. There's a lot of questions from people about Sae. **Why is Itsuki in love with Yae, and not Sae?** Trust me, you'll find out here. Remember, older twin means born SECOND._

**Chapter 6: Promise**

Little Chitose ran down the hall of her house, scurrying so quickly that the bottoms of her feet hurt. Skidding around the corner, she blindly groped for her brother, hoping he was in the room. When she could not feel him, she crawled her way to the far corner, opened the closet there, and ducked inside. The little girl in the crimson kimono shut the door and huddled there in a little ball, shivering. Footsteps approached the room, and a deep voice called out, "Itsuki Tachibana!!" Chitose flinched and opened the closet slightly so she could peek out.

Ryokan Kurosawa stood in the hall, looking impatient and angry. The white haired teenager walked up to him, slowly tying his blue kimono. "You called?" he said quietly, a light trace of vehemence in his voice.

"Tachibana, this house is needed for the Cleansing. Do you permit?" Ryokan asked.

Itsuki's hands clenched into fists. Of course he didn't permit. He would never permit to assisting in the same ritual again, to let another set of twins go and destroy themselves before the entire town. He raised his eyes to meet Ryokan's. "I suppose…" he lightly said.

"Good. Now, find your sister and leave this house immediately," the Ceremony Master said.

"Where will we stay, sir?"

"In the Osaka House, I suppose. I'm sure they won't mind guests," the old man replied, not very worried about the Remaining. Itsuki gave a slow nod, then looked around. "Chitose, come out. We need to go," he called.

Chitose shivered from fear of the old man, but knew she had to go out. However, her fear had immobilized her, and she could not will her body to get up and out of the closet. She started to cry, but then looked down at her wrist. A red ribbon tied to two bells was around her right wrist. Itsuki had told her, that whenever she hides, she should jingle the bells so he could come find her.

The little girl shook her wrist lightly, then harder, so the tinkling of the bells was quite loud. Itsuki turned towards the closet door and walked over, opening it up. "There you are, Chitose," he whispered softly. He picked up the crying child and hugged her. "Don't worry, Chitose, I'm here now."

Ryokan snorted lightly towards the boy's comment. Itsuki's eyes pierced Ryokan's own, and for an instant, they seemed to be fighting the other's wills. Itsuki calmly walked past the old man, carrying his little sister out the door. Chitose could only stare in fear at the Ceremony Master, as his face seemed to twist into Death itself.

§ § §

Yae walked beside Sae as they left the Tachibana House. They had finished their Cleansing only hours before, and were now free to roam the village for one more day, before it was their time for the ritual. Sae seemed happier than Yae on this day. She turned to Yae. "Why are you so quiet today, sister?" she asked.

Yae hardly looked at her, only shrugged. "Want to know why I'm so happy?" she asked. Again, Sae's twin only shrugged. "I'm happy, because Itsuki gave me this bracelet," she said, holding out her hand. Yae glanced at it and gasped. The bracelet had once belonged to Itsuki's mother, and he said it was the most precious thing to him other than Mutsuki. Yae could hardly stand to look at it. Days before, Itsuki had shown his love for Yae…so why was he giving this gift to Sae?

"Are you going to…see him now?" Yae asked. Sae nodded, the quiet smile still on his face. "Would you like to come too, Yae?" she asked. The girl nodded, and the twins set off towards the old tree to see Itsuki.

They found him sitting there, writing in a blue notebook. He heard their footsteps on the hard soil, and he stood up to greet them. Sae came forward and hugged him. "Itsuki, I missed you!" she cried. He returned the hug lightly. "Are the preparations almost ready?" Yae interrupted. The white haired teenager looked at Yae, and his face grew red with shame as he saw her angry eyes. "Almost," he said.

"The ritual is tomorrow," she said to him, her voice cold and unfeeling. "If the preparations aren't fully ready, Sae will die," she said. Itsuki flinched at her tone. Sae noticed the tension between the two. "Itsuki, where's Chitose? Maybe she'd like to play."

Itsuki pointed outside. "She's in the Osaka House," he said quietly, and Sae ran out. The white haired teen looked at Yae, who turned her back on him. "Yae…why are you so angry with me?"

"You said that you loved me, Itsuki."

"I never said it plain-out…I only said that I am here for you because Mutsuki isn't," he said, coming to her side.

"You kissed me, Itsuki. You showed me love and compassion, and then you turned around and gave her that bracelet!" Yae cried, upset now.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered, trying to see her face. She turned away from him once more. "Yae, I didn't mean to hurt you…I thought you would understand. Sae and you are leaving. She loves me."

"Do you love her?" she asked. Itsuki froze, unsure of that answer. Was he loving Sae out of pity, or because he really did love her? Yae did not wait for his answer. "No, Itsuki. You have loved her for a long time, and I am just being selfish. Excuse me," she said, and started for the exit. Itsuki grabbed her arm. "Yae…"

She looked at him. "No, Itsuki," she said, but he had already pulled her close. He placed his lips on hers. She pushed herself away after a moment, and was met with Itsuki's hurt expression. "You love her, not me."

"I don't know who I love, Yae, but it's too late anyway. You are leaving tomorrow morning," he whispered. She shook his grip off of her arm. "I will see you then," she said, walking away. Itsuki watched her leave, and even stood there long after she was gone, his eyes ever searching for her form in the dust, hoping she would return to his willing embrace.

§ § §

It rained again that night, but it was a pitiful excuse for rain. It drizzled, then picked up a bit, slowly returning to a spitting after wards. It would repeat this for several hours, deepening the sorrow in Yae's heart as she walked through the village one last time. Her kimono was soaked within minutes, but she neither cared nor felt it. Her last hours in the village made her heart ache deeply, as she fought to regain her composure. Sae loved Itsuki, and he seemed to love Sae…but, what did he say? He didn't know? What a male answer.

A rumble of thunder came overhead, and Yae looked up. The rain came much heavier now, soaking her hair and wetting her face, despite the tears that were already there. Yae only sighed and continued walking. As she walked past the shrine, she saw two priests standing there in the rain. One of them noticed her. "Ms. Kurosawa, you should return home," he said, his face hidden by a veil of cloth.

"Oh…I know…" she said, shivering lightly. "I just…I wanted to enjoy my time in the village…before the ritual." The priests nodded approvingly. Though it was the truth, she wanted to enjoy her last hours in the village, it seemed to them like she was enjoying her time before she and Sae became one. Yae nodded and walked to the old tree, cautiously stepping inside. The old tree seemed warmer than the last time it rained. She looked around and found everything just as it was earlier, but Itsuki was not there. His notebook, however, lay a good distance from where it had been, up beside one of the pinwheels.

Yae kneeled down and opened it, beginning to read its contents.

_I have sent Ryozo a letter, saying that I need his help. I told him about Yae and Sae, and told him to wait outside of the village for them around the time of the ritual. I only hope that he gets this letter before it is too late. What happened to his mentor was terrible, but I'd rather the two girls be spared of this fate._

_Yae__ or Sae? I don't know anymore…I kissed Yae, but when Sae looks at me…I feel lost in her gaze._

_It's not like it matters…tomorrow, it will all be over. My pain and theirs. I will end my suffering after they run away. I'll deliver myself from this hellish village._

Yae shook her head sorrowfully. She was too hard on the white haired teenager, and now, she wouldn't be able to apologize. Footsteps sounded behind her, and she quickly turned, hoping to see Itsuki. Instead, her face fell as she saw that it was Sae, soaking wet and crying.

"Sae…what's wrong?" she asked, standing up. Her sister gave a great sob and collapsed against Yae.

"Oh Yae…I thought you had left me…I thought you had gone forever!" she gasped, her body wracked by sobs. Yae wrapped her arms around her sister and helped her sit down. Using her semi-dry kimono sleeve to dry her sister's tears, the older twin looked down at Sae. The sobbing teenager looked up at Yae. "I thought you'd come back soon…so I waited…but you never came!!"

Yae rubbed her sister's back gently. "Hush…I was coming back. It's just…I wanted to see the village again, one last time." At these words, Sae brushed her tears away. "Soon, we won't be here anymore, and we'll be free."

"And we'll be together forever…right?" Sae questioned quietly.

"Of course!" Yae said, smiling. Sae brightened and hugged her sister. "Do you remember, Sae? That one day…we went to the river that flows out of the village…"

"And there, we made a promise…" Sae said dreamily. "Didn't we, Yae?"

"We made a promise to always be together, no matter what. We'd leave the village, we'd start a new life together…we're almost there, Sae. No one can stop us now!" Yae said.

Sae nodded, but something in her eyes seemed distant and worried. Yae bent her head down. "What is it?"

"I'm weak…and I might not be able to follow you. You may leave me behind. I don't mind doing the ritual, as long as you and I are together…I never want to be alone without you."

Yae's eyes softened as she looked at her sister. She wrapped her arms around Sae and sighed. "Never. I won't ever leave you. We'll leave together…or we'll die together." The twins hugged tightly, Sae resting her head on her sister's lap. Yae looked outside and dimly saw the dark form that entered the tree. A lightly soaked Itsuki gazed down at the two girls, and for the first time in weeks, Yae could see the tears that heavily dripped from his eyes.

§ § §

Itsuki walked around the village streets, watching as the priests were preparing for the ceremony. Behind him, Yae and Sae walked together, holding hands. The younger of the two looked around, frightened, while the older stared at the white haired boy's back. She had to say something to him before they left, but since Sae was here, what could she say? _Oh Itsuki…I'm so sorry…_ Yae thought with anguish. _If only I had known…if only I could turn back time so I could tell you, face-to-face, the truth. _

Sae tugged at Yae's hand, and she turned to look at her twin. Sae's eyes were filled with fear, and the older twin squeezed her hand gently. Itsuki stopped them at an old storehouse that stood next to the Tsuchihara family's house. He slipped inside and returned with four circular objects. "Come," he said quietly, hurrying them back to the old tree that lay on the other side of the village. The priests noticed the Remaining leading the two girls to the tree, but thought nothing of it. The Remaining was feared and respected. If he wanted to speak with the girls, it was probably about the ritual. The three teenagers huddled in the tree, and Itsuki put the four circular family crests into the small shrine at the back of the tree. As he worked, Sae and Yae took their last glances around the tree.

This place had been their only sanctuary for years. Here, they could come and talk, speak of their dreams and aspirations. Yae's eyes fell on the dozens of red pinwheels blowing in the wind, the shrine to the twins who were sacrificed. Her sad eyes came to rest on Mutsuki's pinwheel, which, surprisingly, was not moving in the wind. All the others around his were moving, but his was not. Yae almost began to cry at the sight of it, but held strong for her sister. Itsuki quickly finished, and turned to the girls. "Wait here, both of you," he said gently, as he went out.

Itsuki hurried over to the priests. "Did the girls come this way?" he asked, his voice sounding frantic.

"No, Master Itsuki, they did not. Weren't they in the tree with you?" one of the veiled priests said.

"Yes, but they pushed me and hurried off! I think they're trying to escape!!" he cried. The priests jumped. "They're headed to the cemetery," Itsuki said. "If they did not come back this way, then they must have gone out the second entrance. Hurry!!" The priests wasted no time in running off, carrying their staffs. They ran throughout the village, calling to the people and to other priests, telling them the news. One priest ran off to the Kurosawa house, no doubt to tell Ryokan.

Itsuki went back to the tree. "Come now, quickly. They will soon find that it was a hoax," he cried hoarsely, and the girls followed him out. He led them both up the long and steep steps to the shrine, where the lanterns were lit for the ceremony. Sae clung to Yae fiercely, slowing her down. "Sae, don't hang so, or we'll be caught!" Yae warned. Sae let go, but pushed herself to keep up with her sister.

The three ran into the shrine and to the back of it, where the lattice in the back was broken. Sae stopped them. "Wait! Itsuki…Father said that it is dangerous in there!" Yae and Itsuki turned back to the frightened girl. "He said that two twins were killed in a cave-in…"

"He lied!" Itsuki said, angrily. Sae flinched at his tone. "Your father has lied about everything. Those twins did not die in a cave-in, they got out. Now, come on," he cried, going under the broken lattice. Yae pulled the frozen Sae after. The boy opened up an old door at the back of the shrine that had been unlocked after he set the circular crests into the altar of the old tree. "This way," he said, heading down the rocky steps, the girls following.

"This way leads to the surface, to the mountain path. Once there, you must follow the path out of the village," the white haired boy said, instructing them as they hurried down the dark path. They took the stairs at the end up into the sunlight. Yae and Sae looked around, and were struck with awe at the beautiful forest they were in. Itsuki turned back to the dark passage behind them, then grabbed Yae's hand and pulled both her and Sae down the mountain path for a few minutes. He moved to a side. "Here, hide in the trees for a moment." Though confused, the girls nodded and hid with him.

Moments later, a couple of villagers came out of the passage, looking around. "They must be here," cried one of them.

"They couldn't have gotten too far," the other cried. "They don't know the way." A villager strayed from the group and walked down the path the teenagers had taken, and was looking around. Sae grasped her sister's arm and buried her face, too afraid to do anything. Yae, also frightened, stared ahead like a deer in headlights. Itsuki's eyes narrowed in anger towards the villagers, but he turned back to the girls. His eyes fell on Yae, and he slid his hand into hers. Yae looked at him and nodded, squeezing his hand.

_If we are caught…we will not be taken without a fight. If they wish to force us into the sacrifice, Sae and I kill ourselves. None of us, including Itsuki, will go back alive. _He returned the squeeze with another, as time seemed to freeze for him and her. _He knows. Oh God, Itsuki. I love you so…If we die…I want you to know that I care…_ Yae choked back her tears as she laid her other hand on Itsuki's shoulder tenderly. He looked back at her, and for the first time in a year, she saw his eyes light up with happiness. He now knew the truth of her feelings. _Maybe now,_ she thought, _it won't end with us alone._ But the villager never saw them. Instead, he followed his comrades in the opposite direction, looking for the escaped twins.

Itsuki pulled the girls out of the trees, still holding onto Yae's hand. His eyes stared at the fading backs of the villagers with hate, but he looked back at Yae and smiled lightly. "It's time," he said. Sae looked up.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Yae looked at Itsuki, her eyes filled with sadness, but she knew.

"You two go on by yourselves," he replied. Sae gasped and tugged at Yae's kimono, pleading silently with her to do something.

When Yae did nothing, Sae spoke up shakily. "Itsuki…come with us."

"No," he replied, finally looking at Sae. "I made another promise. I told Mutsuki that I would not leave the village without him, and I still won't. I will not leave him to be alone." Sae nodded, light tears forming. Itsuki stepped up to her and wiped her tears with his gentle hand. "Don't cry now," he whispered. "You both will be free soon." Sae managed a small smile for him, and he kissed her cheek. "I will miss you," he said.

He moved back and looked at Yae, whose eyes threatened to shed the same tears her sister did. He hugged her, and as he did, he leaned his head over to her ear. "Yae…no matter what…I love you." She only smiled and pressed a piece of paper into his hand. He clutched it tightly, then drew apart from her. They kissed lightly, quickly, so it seemed like a brotherly kiss for Sae, but she saw the love between them. She clenched one of her fists lightly.

"Now, go, you two." Yae turned and nodded to Sae, pulling her towards the path. She knew what she had to do, though it meant leaving Itsuki. The boy looked at them. "Don't look back, no matter what," he warned, before Yae pulled harder, and the girls took off running. Itsuki watched them go, tears forming as he held the paper tightly in his hands.

Once both Itsuki and any traces of the village were out of sight, Sae began to slow. It had not been a long run, but she was physically weak, and she stumbled lightly. "Yae, wait!!" she cried. Her older sister ran about three feet in front of her. "Don't leave me behind!!"

Yae looked back at her sister. "Come on!" she yelled, turning back to the path. Sae watched Yae run, and her thoughts began to race. Her thoughts told her about Itsuki, about the kiss Yae and he had shared, about the bracelet and their friendship. Her mind ran back to the night before, in the tree.

_"We'll always be together, Sae, no matter what…I promised, didn't I?"_

Sae looked at the back of her running sister, as time once more seemed to slow down dramatically. _Yae__ did promise, didn't she? Of course she didn't she? Of course she did! And once we're out of this village, we'll be free. We can do whatever we want, and we'll always be together._ **_But…_** Sae's mind froze on that promise, and led her to her next thoughts. **_But, once we're out of the village…she'll fall in love with someone. She'll get married…and she'll leave me alone…_** Sae looked at her sister. If this is what Yae was going to do, Sae could not let it happen. She had to stop them from escaping. Even if they could not be together bodily, they could be one with the Crimson Sacrifice!

Sae looked at Yae as they ran, and saw a break in the brush beside the path ahead. She moved closer to the edge of the path, and as she came to the break, she slipped on the edge and fell, screaming, down the hill. Yae froze and looked back. Sae landed with a hard thud on the soft earth, losing consciousness. Yae looked down at her sister in fear, but when she saw her breathing, she lightly relaxed. Though her sister was fine, how would she go and get her? The ledge was too steep, and she could hurt herself by trying to climb down.

Yae did not have time to think of any other options, for not far from where she was, she could hear the voices of the villagers, calling the girls names. Looking at her sister in agony, she said, "I'll come back for you!" She took off down the path, following Itsuki's instructions by not looking back, large tears running down her face as she ran.

Sae woke up a few minutes after Yae ran off. She looked up at the path. "Yae? Yae!" she called. When no one answered, she called louder. "Yae! I'm down here!!" She heard some footsteps up above, and nearly cried with joy, but saw the faces of the villagers, and her father behind them. "Sae!!" he yelled. "Are you alright!?"

"Where's Yae?" she called. He shook his head. "She must be there!! She promised!!" When the other villagers went down to help her, she only buried her face in her hands and wept.

§ § §

Sae kneeled in the front of her house, crying as the villagers yelled over her. They were frantic – the X needed to be appeased. Yae had not returned, and the sacrifice was needed now. "How could she leave her sister behind?" one cried. Sae only stared at the floor.

_Yae__ will come back for me…I know she will…_

Ryokan looked at his daughter, sighing. "We have no choice. We must perform the ritual without Yae." He shook his head sadly as he watched his daughter. "This must work…the Kusabi failed to appease the X, and if we do not bring in a sacrifice, the Repentance will occur!" The villagers stared at Ryokan in horror and awe. The Repentance is the price that the village must pay if all the rituals fail. Malice would pour from the X, and the dead would spill over. This had never happened, but it was a cause to fear. If the Repentance occurred, who knew what would happen to the village?

Sae looked up at her father. "May I see Itsuki before the sacrifice?" she asked. He looked down at her. "Yes, you may. We locked him up in the storehouse for helping you escape."

Three villagers helped Sae up and led her out into the village, one always at her side. Her left leg had been injured because of the fall, and she limped terribly. She limped with their help, as they went slowly towards the storehouse at the other side of the village.

_Itsuki__…before the ritual…I want to see you again, one last time._

Sae sighed sadly. Itsuki would be so unhappy when she told him that they didn't get away. One of the villagers went before her and unlocked the storehouse for her. Sae nodded and opened the door. As she walked in, she grew nervous. She couldn't hear Itsuki moving in the cell. All she could hear was a strange creaking from the ceiling of the cell. She looked up, and gasped at what she saw. Covering her mouth with her hands, heavy tears spilled onto her cold hands. The villagers looked at her. "The ritual is beginning, Sae. It's time to go." Sae looked at them, then back into the cell. She bowed her head in sadness and left. The villagers led her to the Kurosawa house, where the priests took her and Ryokan through the usual procession to the ritual chamber.

_Yae__…please come back…I'll wait for you. I'll wait for you forever._

§ § §

Little Chitose was also crying, in her little room in the Tachibana House. Her brother had been thrown into the storehouse, all because Yae ran away! And now, she wouldn't even come back to get Sae. Chitose cried lightly into her hands. "I want my brother…" she sobbed. Sae had gone to do the ritual not long before, so it should have been finished by then. A loud rumbling shook the house, and the village. Chitose looked up, her almost blind eyes fearful. The entire village was filled with darkness in a matter of seconds, and Chitose screamed when it came. Through the darkness, she crawled to the closet, closing the door. She huddled there, the darkness not unfamiliar to her, and she rang her little bells. When no one came, she rang them louder.

Chitose sat there, in the darkness, for some time, until she heard footsteps, and screams from outside. She opened the door to the closet only slightly, looking out. There, she saw some of the people from her house running away from something, only to drop dead. One of the servants ran by, and she saw a pale hand grab him. He screamed only once before his life was snuffed out like a candle, and his body dropped to the floor with a thud. Chitose gasped and squinted to see the cause of this massacre. Her eyes widened in horror as she recognized the smirking face of Sae Kurosawa, her white kimono covered in blood. The young teenager grabbed another servant by the throat, taking his life as well. Others were still trying to run from the teenager, and, in their desperation to live, they knocked over a table, which fell onto the closet, shutting it on Chitose.

"NO!" she screamed, trying to pull at the closet door. It wouldn't budge. She pounded on the door, but soon stopped, as the scream of one dying came from not two feet outside of the door. The little girl pulled herself back, keeping away from the door. She heard Sae laughing maniacally just outside of the door, but the laughing grew faint within minutes, as the teenager continued on her massacre. Chitose began to ring her bells again, crying.

**"Itsuki…help me…They're everywhere...I can't get out..."**


	7. Miyako

**Haunted**

-

By Guardian795

_Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed that chapter. A few things I left unanswered, but it will be answered once the heroines, Mio and Mayu, come in, which will be in two chapters. Here, in these next two chapters, I'd like to introduce to you two infamous characters: Masumi Makimura and Miyako Sudo. _

_The last chapter, and the beginning of the Repentance, was around the period 1875-1889, approximately. **This chapter is in 1955**, a much more present day. Masumi is a surveyor, given the task to survey the area where All God's Village once existed, because a dam, called the All God's Dam, is to be built there. When he goes missing on the job, a search party is sent to look for him. Miyako, his girlfriend, sets out to look for him after the search parties quit 10 days later. She finds herself in the village, and decides to look for her boyfriend in this strange place. _

_Now, for those of you who haven't played the game, the deal is that the village is trapped in a never-ending cycle of its final day. When another person dies in the village, or comes to the village, their day(s) there are also repeated, over and over. So, even if you're alive, the next day, you could see yourself walking around. Creepy, eh? _

_Unfortunately, I couldn't find the translations to their names. Sorry guys! _

**Polls: In your reviews, write answers to these two questions: 1) Which ending would you like me to do? And 2) Would you like it if, after I am finished this fan fiction, that I write a fan fiction of Fatal Frame 1? Thank you!**

§ § §

**Chapter 7: Miyako**

Miyako Sudo sighed lightly as she stepped down onto a rock, shaking her wet shoes. She shone her light onto the dark path before her, as she continued on down the creek bed. _10 days…_ she thought sadly. _It's been 10 days, Masumi. Where could you have gone?_ Her light illuminated most of the rocks around her, but the creek at her feet was pitch black, and she occasionally got her feet wet. Her long, black hair rested gently against her back and white shirt. She smoothed down the wrinkles of her short blue skirt, as her blue eyes gazed around for her boyfriend, Masumi Makimura, a surveryor for the All God's Dam that would be built in the next year or so.Getting frustrated, she climbed out of the creek bed and walked along the dirt path. He had to have been here at some point, because the dam was to be built in this very spot. The 19 year old sat down on a rock and sighed. Cold, hungry, and probably lost, she would not let up her search for her boyfriend. He had to be here, someplace, waiting. _But if he is here, how could he have survived for so long? He had only enough food for two, maybe three days. _His equipment was still back at the campsite he built, but his bag, his food, and some other items were missing.

She sighed once more and stood up, gripping her side bag tightly. She would be of no use to him, sitting around and moping. She started to walk onwards, when she felt a sudden jerk in reality, before she tripped over a large stone that had not been there before. Falling to the soft earth, Miyako cried out in pain, dropping her flashlight. She sat up and grabbed it, shining back at the rock she had tripped on. Her eyes widened as her light revealed that it was no rock, but a marker. The stone only went up to an inch or two below her knees, and on it were the carvings of two girls in kimonos, holding hands. The girl on the right had no face; it must have been worn from age. The rest of the stone was covered in moss and dirt. Cracks were etched into the stone from age. Miyako stood up. She had never seen that marker before, but the path from whence she came was gone, covered by brush. It was too dark to head back that way, so she would continue onto the path that lay in the opposite direction. Gripping her flashlight tightly in her right hand, she walked forward.

She had not gone long down the path, when she saw a reddish glow come from the top of a hill that the path led to. As she walked closer, there seemed to be moving torches up there, like a festival. She moved a bit faster along the path, relieved to find that someone was here. She passed under a large, red Torii gate, and saw four torches burning nearby. They illuminated a large, square boulder in the center of three curved boulders which stretched upwards. Around the three curved boulders were ceremonial ropes. Miyako came closer to inspect them. "Must be a ceremonial altar or something…" she muttered. She turned her attention to the other portion of the hill, where she saw a large, dark, and old Japanese village. She gasped. "This wasn't on any map…Where am I?!" she cried. She dug into her side bag and pulled out a map, looking at it. "There's no village on the map."

She looked at the village in awe. "How could such a village exist for so long, and why couldn't anyone find it?" she asked herself, but, with dread, the answer came to her. "This must be…the Lost Village," she whispered. She had heard legends of this village. It had disappeared during a festival, and those who get caught in the woods are trapped by the village, or spirited away to it. _Maybe Masumi is here, _she thought. _That would explain why no one could find him!_ Her heart leapt with joy, as she hurried down the path to the village. She stopped in front of the first house there, looking at it. Though her heart pounded with joy for the revelation that Masumi might be here, she couldn't help but stop and look at the upper portion of the house. The lantern light was on, but the village looked so old, it had to have been abandoned 30 years before, and there was no electricity. She shrugged her worries off, sliding the door open to the house and walking inside.

She entered a little room with a lattice to the left, and a door ahead that led to the rest of the house. Miyako turned her light to the lattice, and looked around the room there. There were two kimonos held up with wooden stands in the room. There was a red lantern with butterflies on the cover, and in the back, were several boxes. Two of them, on the sides, held kimonos that overflowed, but the middle one looked empty, and the lid was partway off. She turned, and put her hand on the door to the house, when she heard a baby crying in the room behind the lattice. She turned to look over there, and found that the lid to the middle box was gone, and the crying had stopped. She shook her head and opened the door to the house.

The outside wasn't much better than the inside. The sunken fireplace, in the center of the room, was filled with mold and dust. The paper folds to block out viewers were ripped and torn, the paper old. The floorboards were dusty and old, and creaked when she stepped on them. But, the strangest thing, was that there were lit candles everywhere. It was just like the lit lantern outside of this house. Miyako shook her head, and walked into the center of the room, towards the old fireplace. Despite the dust and the mold, she touched the wooden overhang, and she immediately shook with fear. Something felt very wrong once she touched the wood. She whipped around and brought her light to the door. She sighed in relief when nothing was there. She felt as though someone was watching her.

Miyako had a sixth sense. She knew that she had it, but wished she didn't, because it always got her into trouble, especially at college, where she met Masumi. She'd often get her visions during school hours, when people would say something, or she'd touch an object…but either way, it bothered her and the other students. She got hit a couple of times in high school because of her "weirdness", but in college, it was different. Masumi seemed to believe her, even told her that he'd help her through her visions. A nice gesture, but not needed, and she thanked him profusely several times for his help. But here, in this place, her sixth sense was screaming wildly. What could it be, here, in this village, that set her sixth sense off so terribly?

It didn't matter, though. If Masumi was here, she'd have to set aside her fear and look for him. Her light drifted around the room again, before her eyes fell to a staircase at the furthest corner from the door. Walking around the fireplace, she slowly began to walk up the small flight of stairs that creaked every time she put her foot down. At the top of the stairs, Miyako found a long hallway, and only one door there. She tried to open the door, but a large lock barred her way. The symbol on the lock meant "Ginger". "Stupid door…" Miyako muttered, heading down the hall the other way to continue exploring.

She took another small flight of stairs down, entering a hallway of the house. In front of her was a small hall that led to a room, and to her right was the continuation of another hallway, taking a turn under a drape with the symbol as the lock on the door. She walked down the long hallway first, against her intuition. She turned the corner and spotted a door at the end of the hall, going to it and opening it. Upon entering the room, Miyako was hit with a wave of cold that chilled her to the bone. A large, colorful paper screen was to her left, so she could not see what lay in the room. Gripping her flashlight tightly, the young woman came around the screen. Only an old coal brazier was in the room, but the cold in the air must have come from an open door at the back that led to a small garden. Miyako went around the brazier and out to the garden, where she looked around in awe. Though the village looked to be 50 years old or more, the garden looked healthy and well-tended. "So odd…" she muttered. Her foot collided with something that gave a light crunch. The woman aimed her light at the object, and found a loose paper. Picking it up, her shaky hands brought the small paper to her face.

The paper had Masumi's handwriting on it! She could have jumped for joy at this, knowing that her boyfriend had been in the house. The paper described small amounts of information regarding the village, but she dropped it to the ground in her happiness. Masumi was alive and well! The ink seemed to be barely dry, as though he had been in the room thirty minutes before. Miyako hugged herself in delight. But, how would she let him know that she was here? The young woman dug into her pack. _It must be here…please let it be here…_ She smiled when she pulled out one of her red notebooks and a pen. Masumi would come back for his notes, and find something here for him. She began to write in her neat style, though her hands twitched with excitement.

_Masumi... It's me, Miyako. I came to look for you._

_Let's go home together. Together, we can make it. Call for me if you find this. I'll be nearby._

- _Miss you!_

Miyako could only hope that he would find the note…or else, they'd be stuck in the village for a while. As she lay the notebook down in a spot that he couldn't miss, thoughts began to run through her head. _What if he finds the note and can't find me? What if he's already left?!_ Her mind raced and her thoughts collided with the newfound salvation of Masumi in the village. Her carefully created dream of leaving this village with Masumi, happy and healthy, was beginning to be shattered by the fear of never leaving this village. She hugged herself tightly and quickly left the room. If Masumi had left, or could not find her, she would look for a way out herself. She hurried back into the hall. As she made to turn the corner, something caught her eye, and she turned towards the wall now to her left. As she looked, an imprint into the wood seemed to be in the shape of…a face?

She leaned in closer to the wall, and touched it carefully. Sure enough, her fingers touched what seemed to be the old skin of a face. As she ran her hand along it, she was surprised by how alarmingly real it felt. As her hand ran along the face, her mind began to flash and scream. Her sixth sense…what now?! As she turned to look at the hallway behind her, a pair of hands reached out of the wall, just under the face. As Miyako turned back, and spotted the hands, her eyes widened in horror, but could not pull away before the pale, see-through hands grabbed her by the shoulders, and her mind went down a whirlpool of visions.

_She stood there, amongst the rotting corpses she had only just murdered. Her revenge was only short lived, however._

_The one she wanted was still alive…the one who left her, never fulfilled her promise, never came back for her. "Yae…didn't we promise…? Together…always…"_

_Miyako could only stare in horror at this young teenager…a girl maybe 16. Her white kimono glinted in the moonlight, and blood visibly dripped from the front of the kimono. Half of a red rope was tied around her waist, cut as though it had once been connected to something else. A prominent red mark laced around the girl's throat. As Miyako watched, the girl's sullen and sad voice turned into maniacal laughter. _

_The bodies around her were easy to spot; they littered the area around the sunken fireplace of the Great Hall. To one side of the room were a door and a closet; to the other side were paper artworks. All of these had been bloodied by the teenager and her victims. _

_Miyako backed away from the girl, but tripped and fell onto a bloody, and fresh, corpse. She screamed loudly, and scrambled backwards, only to hit yet another body. She jumped to her feet and tried to step over the bodies as she ran to the door. A flash of lightning hit, and the bodies disappeared, including the girl. Miyako froze and looked around the room. Not a trace of anything, but the blood from the bodies covered the room in patches. She gave a sigh of relief, before something went THROUGH her. _

_Masumi, looking tired and disappointed, walked through his girlfriend as though she were air. "Masumi!!" she screamed. She reached out to him, but it too went through his body. Masumi stared straight in front of himself. His left fist closed tightly around something in his hand, but Miyako couldn't see what it was. He then looked at the center of the room. "Nothing…I need to find a way out…" he muttered. A loud, male scream came from the other side of the room, behind the wooden pieces of artwork near the inner fireplace. Masumi didn't seem to hear or notice it, but Miyako heard it._

_Her eyes glanced in that direction. Another scream was heard, exactly like the last, but louder…and closer. Masumi did hear it this time, and turned to looked towards the paintings. Around the corner of the Great Hall came a white apparition, with bloody slashes in his body, cutting through his white clothes, which hung loosely on his gaunt figure. His hair was white and thrown back. One of his arms was tied to his chest, and the other reached out angrily towards Miyako's lover. "Masumi, run!!" Miyako screamed. Masumi backed away from the ghost and flung his hands in front of his face. He could see the ghost! The ghost raised his arm and slashed at the man before him._

_"MASUMI!!!!"_

§ § §

Miyako woke with a start, drenched in cold sweat. Tears streaked down her tired features, and her eyes glanced crazily around the room for Masumi. "Masumi…where are you…?" she moaned. Looking around, she found herself in the room with the boxes from when she entered the house. A small light was nearby, and the paper that kept the light hidden was a light red with crimson butterflies around it. She smiled slightly at the beauty of the butterflies. She stood up carefully and wiped off the dust from her skirt. Her bag lay only a few feet away from her, and she carefully picked it up. As she rummaged through it, she came across another one of her small, red notebooks. She took out her pen and began to write again. Her tension began to build up to a high, and she needed to let her emotions out somehow.

_I've heard rumors about the lost village before. Long ago, a massacre occurred on the day of a ceremony, and the village was wiped from the map. Twin Deities Statues in the forest lead lost people to the village entrance. Once you passed the gate however, you cannot go back. The village eternally relives that night of death. The insane laughter of a woman is said to echo throughout the village. The only survivor of the massacre at the village was a lone woman._

_Sometimes I sense someone passing by the window. He carries a torch, and mutter things. He seems to be searching for somebody. But it is not Masumi. In the distance, I can hear some kind of sad ceremonial song being sung. They say that this village vanished on the day of a ceremony, and that day is repeated over and over again._

_How much time has passed since I came here? How long will this night last?  
I can't take the darkness. It's driving me crazy... I have to get out of here! I have to see Masumi._

She closed the book and looked towards the lattice window. "I have to see him…" she muttered. "Where have you gone, Masumi? I keep looking…and looking…and waiting…and I can't find you…" She grabbed hold of her hair tightly. This village was beginning to drive her insane.

§ § §

Miyako woke hours later, sighing as she stood up. She had fallen asleep on the second set of steps in the middle of the house, and her back hurt. She had no idea where Masumi was, or even if he was still in the village any longer. He had not come for her, he had not answered her note, nor had she found any traces of him. She smoothed down her skirt in annoyance. She had no idea how long she had been in this village. Hours…days…weeks…she didn't know, nor did she care. She wanted out of this hell hole. She walked up the stairs and sat at the top of them, running a hand through her hair. "Why me…why us…?" she moaned. Her dreams had been plagued by that girl, over and over again. She couldn't stop thinking about her. Why did she kill all of those people?

She stood and walked down the hall at the top of the steps. She missed Masumi terribly, and her mental stability had been deteriorating slowly. She could no longer stay awake for too long. The terrible feelings and visions she kept getting would cause her to pass out. The darkness was eating at her mind. She suddenly heard giggling, and she whipped around. A little girl in a maroon yukata looked at her. "Hewwo!" she cried happily. Miyako only stared at the girl is awe. Another, smaller voice came from behind Miyako. "Found you!" Miyako turned and saw a little boy just behind her, grabbing her skirt. She was hit with a terrible pain, feeling darkness come around her. She screamed loudly and collapsed to the ground. The boy and the girl only giggled and ran off. Miyako sobbed lightly from the pain, laying where she was.

"Miyako?" She turned her head and looked down. At the entrance stood Masumi Makimura, wearing tan pants, a white undershirt, and a tan jacket. His black hair was a little frizzy from running, and he looked out of breath. His clothes were torn a little dirty. He looked around frantically. "Miyako?" he called again.

"Masumi…" she croaked, weakly. He didn't seem to hear, for he walked forward, and promptly disappeared. She gasped. Had he been a figment of her imagination? Or…a ghost? She forced herself to her feet. Leaning on the rail of the stairs for support, she slowly walked down them, flashlight in hand. "Masumi…" she called painfully. There was no answer. She continued on her path, going the way the apparition had walked towards. She walked down the hall, and saw Masumi again. He kept walking, and also disappeared, heading down the second hallway towards the room Miyako had not gone to. She followed his apparition, and found a door a little ways down the hallway. As she lay her hand on the door, she could hear a voice. "Is she here…I hope she is…" Masumi's voice!

Miyako opened the door, and saw his back. "Masumi…" she called softly. He dropped the book in alarm and whipped around. He looked exactly like his apparition, but he was real. Real at last. He blinked at her stupidly. "Miyako? Miyako, is that you?" She smiled slowly before running towards him. He held out his arms to her and they embraced fiercely. "Masumi!!" she cried happily, as he covered her cheek and neck with kisses.

"Oh Miyako…" he breathed, "I thought I would never see you again…" He hugged her tighter, then slowly pulled her off after a minute and looked at her. "You look so pale…so gaunt. Have you eaten? Have you slept? What's happened to you?"

"Masumi…there were kids running and playing…and a face in the wall…and then, this teenager with a white kimono that was covered in blood! It was terrible, Masumi!"

"Kids?" he asked. "What kids? What teenager?"

"The kids that have been running around the house! Haven't you seen them? I've been hearing their giggles for a long time, but I saw them a few minutes ago," Miyako replied.

"Miyako…I haven't seen any kids, nor a teenager covered in blood. Are you sure you're alright?" he asked. He pressed a gentle hand to her forehead. She sighed in content as she felt his soft skin against hers. His brown eyes looked into her blue ones worriedly. "You have a fever," he told her. He picked her up and carried her into the next part of the room that was totally open.

He laid her down on the floor, then covered her with his jacket. She smiled weakly at him, but when he got up, she grabbed his leg in desperation. "Don't go!" He turned back to her. "Don't leave me alone anymore…" she whispered. He smiled and kneeled down. "I won't leave you, Miyako," he said. He laid down beside her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, as though she was a teddy bear. She rested her head back against his chest.

"I love you…" she whispered. He kissed her hair in response. "I love you too," he replied. Her eyes closed slowly as she drifted off into the wanted oblivion she had so longed for – to be peacefully asleep in his arms.

**But a peaceful sleep is not what she got.**


	8. Never Ending Darkness

**Haunted**

-

By Guardian795

_Author's Note: Not many reviewed the last chapter. I think it was because no one noticed that I erased the NOTICE chapter and replaced it with _**Chapter 7: Miyako**. _I hope you all will read it now, so that I can get some feedback. Once you're done, you can answer the questions I put, and start on this chapter. This is a continuation of Masumi and Miyako's story. Basically, all that has been written down in the game was that Miyako ran after Masumi, who went missing. She found him in the village, and they stayed together…for awhile. See what happens next to our beloved couple!_

§ § §

**Chapter 8: Never Ending Darkness**

Miyako's dream of seeing her love again finally came true that night. Feeling his arms around her waist as she slept reminded her of that; she would often wake to wonder if he was a dream, but his touch reminded her of the reality – that she had found him. She tried to sleep well that night, in that haunted village. The thoughts of Masumi and her going home together was a beautiful picture in her mind, brightly colored and filled with happiness. But, that night, her dreams turned the colors into black and white, then completely tore the picture apart. Miyako's dreams made her toss and turn, despite Masumi's hold on her waist. She couldn't stop sweating, and her body felt like it was on fire. _HELP!_

_"Why do you kill?"_

_"Akane…what are you doing?"_

_"Itsuki...Oh please, Itsuki, help me…find me…"_

_"Don't kill…don't kill." _

_"Why didn't you kill me back then? Since my birth…I've been waiting for your hands to descend upon my neck…"_

**_"MIYAKO, HELP!"_**

She woke with a start, terrified of what she had heard. Terrified, angry, sad voices cried out to her in the night. Were they real? Or had she just imagined them? They seemed awfully real to her, no matter what anyone said. Masumi, lying beside her, slept soundly, despite her jump. The last thing she heard was him screaming…but if he screamed, why didn't he wake up? Why was he fine? She stood slowly, carefully, keeping Masumi's jacket around her shoulders. Though happy he was with her, they were still in this nightmarish village. She sighed and smoothed down her skirt. How long had it been since they had fallen asleep? Hours? Days?

Miyako walked to the nearest lattice window and looked out. The darkness that had greeted her when she first came had not lifted. The luminous and frightening fog that also had accompanied her was still there as well. "How long…?" she whispered. "How long must this continue…?" Clutching Masumi's jacket tightly around her, she nearly broke down into sobs.

Miyako's eyes fell to a broken mirror on a table nearby. She walked over to it and kneeled down so she was leveled with the tiny glass. She gaped at her own reflection. The beautiful woman had become haggard and worn from her escapades in the village. Her skin was twice as pale as normal, her eyes were sunken in, and her hair was messy. Having a bit of decency not to look like a lunatic, she pulled out her brush and ran it through her long, black hair. She smiled at herself in the mirror when she was finished; she may not look as well as she did before she came to the village, but she at least looked better. She looked down at her shirt and smoothed the wrinkled fabric down with her hands.

**_"Dear sister…are you leaving me again?"_** she heard. Her head lifted, and in the mirror, she saw the teenager in the white kimono, the kimono covered in blood. The teenager did not look angry this time. Instead, she looked…amused. Miyako almost smiled at herself. She probably looked like a terrible mess compared to the ghost, who was dead! "Hello, Miyako," the ghost said with a smile. The young woman whipped around and came crashing to her butt as she stared at the teenager.

_"You can see me, can't you, Miyako?"_ the teenager inquired, the smirk still on her features. _"You're the only one that can. Your boyfriend can't, and all of the rest run from me. They can see me because I killed them."_ Miyako crawled backwards and her back met the wall behind her.

"Miyako?" Masumi called. She looked past the ghost and saw Masumi there, looking at her with a mixture of fear and shock. "Miyako, what's wrong?" he asked.

_"Go ahead and tell him,"_ the teenager drawled. _"He'll think you're crazy, because you are! No one in this village stays alive, Miyako. No one leaves my village alive. You'll waste away unless you're stupid enough to run into me again. I'll remember to kill you slowly,"_ the girl said.

Masumi, meanwhile, had walked through the girl and kneeled down beside Miyako. "Miyako…what is it? What do you see?"

"It's…it's her…the girl in the bloody kimono…" she whispered. The ghost smiled at Miyako.

"I don't see her. Are you sure she's there?" Masumi asked. The young woman only nodded as she continued to stare at the bloody teenager. The girl gave one last smirk before disappearing. Masumi looked at his girlfriend in fear – fear for her life. She was gaunt, pale, and was a wreck before he came. He only hoped they could leave soon. "Come on, get up, Miyako. I have two more houses to check." He stood and helped her to her feet. She handed him his jacket.

"Two more houses?"

"Yes. I went searching for the way out, but I couldn't find it up where I entered. I started to search the houses for clues. There's a passageway below us. The passage connects all of the houses, but it's impossible to reach other sides of the path because they're blocked by the rock wall. One of them is the way out, but I don't know how to open the path, nor do I know where it is," Masumi explained as they walked out of the room and to the entrance of the house.

"Masumi, I wasn't able to leave this house, last I checked…" Miyako muttered behind him. He opened the door with ease and moved to let her through. Stunned by this, Miyako could only walk past him as he closed the door behind them. "How…?"

"I don't know. Maybe it was stuck when you tried it," he said. "Do you know the name of this house?" When she shook her head, he said, "It's the Osaka House." He led her outside into the cool air and the darkness, holding her hand to reassure her. "I've been through this village several times in the past few days."

"Masumi…you were gone for 10 days," Miyako said.

He turned to look at her. "10 days…?"

"I came to look for you, because the search parties gave up." He seemed to be processing this information through his head, but he seemed more shocked than anything. "Let's just keep looking, then," he said, pulling her in the direction of a path. She followed him, being pulled by his strong hand. He took her down a long path, then took her around the corner to another house.

"Masumi…what's this?"

"From my notes, this is the Kiryu House," he said, pointing to the left. "And this one is the Tachibana House." He pointed to the right to a broken down house. Miyako looked to the side and saw large gashes in a side wall, and a scythe's blade sticking out. She clutched Masumi's hand tightly.

"I've already explored the Kiryu House," he assured her. "I need to look through a little more of the Tachibana House, and I need to look in the shrine." Miyako's eyes followed a staircase down to another path.

"Where does that go?" she asked.

Masumi looked in the direction she spoke of. "Oh…that leads to a gate. The gate is locked though, and I have a feeling that the most powerful house is behind it. I wonder why the gate is locked, though…No one has been here for years."

Though Miyako seemed more nervous now than ever, Masumi pulled her with him as he opened up one of the back doors to the Tachibana House. The inside of the house looked no better than the Osaka House. Deep gashes caused by rotting wood were on all of the walls, and the whole first rooms looked out of shape and ready to collapse. Masumi led her to a larger section of the house. In the middle of the room, there were knocked over scrolls and several pieces of wood everywhere, like they had been knocked over. There was a close at the far end of the room, and a piece of what used to be a table lay in front of it. Masumi walked up to it and pushed what was left of the table away.

"I wonder what's in here," he muttered. Miyako looked over at him.

"What's in where?" she asked.

"This closet here," he replied. He pulled against the door, but it wouldn't budge. "Damn…something's blocking it from the inside." He gave up and shrugged. Finding more interest in the unrolled scroll on the floor, he walked over to it. Miyako spotted something near the closet, and she walked over to it. It was part of a writing brush, sticking out from underneath the door. It had whittled away at some of the wood, like something was trying to break the door open…from the inside.

She kneeled down and took hold of the brush, trying to slip it out from under the door. As soon as she did, she could hear a small tinkling of bells. Miyako looked up. The tinkling of the bells came back, a little louder, from inside the closet. She turned to look at Masumi, who was reading the scroll. "Masumi?" she called. He looked up. "Do you hear that?" she asked him.

"Do I hear what?" he replied, confused.

"Can you hear those bells?" she asked. He stood and walked over to her. "What bells?" She pointed to the closet door. He kneeled beside her and listened. Miyako again heard the bells, louder, protesting, clinking together in the closet.

"Yeah…I hear them now. What is that?" he asked. He tried once more to open up the closet, but couldn't get it to budge. "Damn it!" he cried, pulling harder. Masumi finally gave up. "Forget it, Miyako. I can't open it. Besides, the bells have stopped," he told her as he walked back to the scroll.

Masumi was wrong; the bells hadn't stopped. Miyako could hear them still, ringing loudly from the other side of the closet. Slowly, the bells grew softer, and she could hear the soft crying of a little girl. She reached out slowly, fearfully, to the door. Her hand collided with it, and she gasped as a vision exploded in her mind.

_"Itsuki…come for me, please! I don't want to be alone…"_

_Miyako stood there, in the room once more, beside the closet. The room was spotless – nothing in the room was wrong. The wood was brand new, and well taken care of. The wood was stacked in a neat pile. The scrolls were on a nearby table, and the table once in front of the closet was gone._

_"Hello?" she heard behind her. She turned around, and there stood a beautiful young girl, 10 at most, in a red kimono with butterflies on it. Her eyes looked almost sightless, as she looked around. A loud rumble caused Miyako to fall to the floor, as immediate darkness flooded the room. The little girl screamed. The shock of the darkness nearly forced Miyako to pass out, but she kept herself steady._

_The little girl looked around frantically, then crawled to the nearby closet, a bell on her wrist tinkling in her wake. She slid open the door and ducked inside, shutting it almost all the way. Miyako stared in curiosity at the little girl, before loud screams sounded down the hall. She looked in that direction, shivering lightly. The screams grew ever closer, and Miyako stared until she heard it. The laugh that haunted her nightmares. _

_The girl in the bloodstained kimono came around the corner, smirking in delight at the pain she was causing. The red rope hung at her side and dragged across the floor as she walked. Miyako heard the tiny girl gasp in fear. Villagers scurried about in the room, trying to run away from the teenager, but she killed them…one by one._

_One man knocked over the table, sending the scrolls to the floor and the table into the closet door, knocking it shut. Miyako heard the small girl pound on the door in fright. Another villager ran to the closet to hide, but was killed by the teenager. The pounding on the door stopped. _

_The teenaged girl laughed, then walked to the door. She stopped once at the doorway and looked back, her eyes meeting Miyako's._

**_"I'll be waiting for you, Miyako…"_**_ she drawled, then left the room. Within moments, a faint ringing came from the closet. _

_"Itsuki…" she heard from inside. Miyako walked over to the closet. "They're everywhere, Itsuki…I can't get out…"_

_Miyako__ looked at the closet door, then heard within the closet a shuffling and scratching. The girl was trying to get out! Miyako pushed the table away from the closet, then pulled on the door. It wouldn't budge at first, and Miyako stopped pulling. Suddenly, the door shuddered, and creaked open…_

Miyako was back in reality…or so she thought. The door slid open, all on its own, and sitting there, was the little girl in the crimson kimono. Miyako gasped in surprise and fear. The girl crawled out of the closet and looked at her. _"Why…!" _the girl screamed, grabbing hold of her waist. Miyako screamed in pain, as she felt the fear of the tiny girl, the starvation and dehydration she felt from being in that closet for so long. She couldn't keep herself up, and collapsed to the ground, senseless.

§ § §

Masumi helped his girlfriend along in the darkness of the village, holding Miyako's flashlight in front of him. It had been two days, or so he calculated, since Miyako's collapse in the Tachibana House. She had stared for a long time at the closet, before passing out to the floor. Upon awakening, he found that she was just stunned and afraid, but fine. Her condition deteriorated from then on in. Within hours, she developed a fever, became paler than ever, and her limbs would not function properly.

Masumi looked back at her. She was looking around in fright at the village, muttering about the darkness. "It won't go away, Masumi…" she whispered. "It's always here…it never ends…"

He grimaced at her words as he led her up the long steps to the shrine. This was the final place in the village he had not tried, save the Kurosawa House. He opened up the shrine, whose door opened with a loud creak. He moved the light around, then stepped inside, helping Miyako in after. She clung to his arm in fear as soon as they entered. "Masumi…they're watching us…" she whispered.

"Who?" he asked her, his tone serious. Since she had begun to see more and more ghosts, his belief in her grew and grew.

"The priests…" she whispered. "They're talking to themselves about…a Kusabi?" she inquired, looking at him.

"Kusabi means 'wedge'," he told her. "But, a wedge for what?" he asked himself, walking to the altar. Every step they took, Miyako held tighter to her lover's arm. When they reached the altar, Masumi took a good look at it. It was neat, organized, and filled with old artifacts. Masumi glanced around the room slowly, and spotted a fence behind the altar. A large piece of it was broken off. Masumi took a step towards it, and as he did, Miyako's arm loosened from his own, dropping to her side. He looked back at her.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

"They…they don't want us to leave…" she whispered, her eyes wide like a deer in headlights. Masumi looked at her, then at what she was looking at. As he looked, he could've sworn he saw something move, but it didn't matter. Miyako let out a shriek and looked as though she were struggling with something. "LET ME GO!" she screamed. Masumi grabbed her by the arm and wrenched her away from whatever held her, urging her after him as he ran out the door. They ran down the steps, well at first, but Miyako slipped on the bottom few steps and fell to the ground with a cry.

"Miyako!" Masumi yelled, kneeling beside her. She forced herself up and they continued running, across the small bridge, down into the village. They stopped running down one of the paths, when Masumi realized Miyako was no longer beside him. He turned around, and saw her hurriedly limping towards him. He waited until she was close, then he picked her up in his strong arms and walked to the Osaka House with her.

They went back into the living room, where the fireplace was. He laid her on the wooden floor, then sat beside her. "Miyako, what happened back there?" he asked, panic in his voice. The woman beside him only shivered in fright. Masumi looked down at her leg. Her pale skin was dark purple, almost black, and a long cut spewed blood. Masumi took part of his shirt and ripped it, wrapping it around her injury.

_How many days have I been in the village? 2? Maybe 3? It feels like I've been here for years. In this village of endless night, it's easy to lose all sense of time. _

Miyako is utterly exhausted. Sometimes she manages to give me a weak smile, but it only makes me more uncomfortable. Physically and mentally, she's running on empty. I haven't found my way out yet, but sifting through the material I gathered in the village again, I found a clue.

A gigantic undeground tunnel, called a passageway, connects all the important locations in the village. It is used for travel between the houses during the ceremony, and also to store important items.

It is difficult to estimate the scale of the passages from the map, but there is sure to be a way through there. I didn't find any information about the entrance to a passageway. However, there must be a clue somewhere in the Kurosawa house, as they presided over the ceremony.

I've decided to leave Miyako here and search the Kurosawa house alone. I'll find a way out of the village and then come back for her.

"Miyako…I'm going into the village to look for a way out, okay?" Miyako nodded, and began to get up. Masumi gently pulled her back down. "No…you have to stay here."

"But, Masumi…"

"No buts. You're tired and hurt. I'll only be a little bit, okay? I'm going to look around, but I'll be back." Miyako looked sad and rejected by his words. Masumi leaned down and kissed her gently.

"Please…come back soon…" she whispered. "I don't want to be without you…" Masumi gave her an easy smile, kissing her hand. They embraced quickly, before the surveyor left his lover to search the never ending darkness.

He walked along the pass towards the Kurosawa House, thinking to himself. He dug his hand deep into his pocket and brought out a small, fragile and important item out. He gazed at the ring intently, wishing he had gotten up the courage to ask Miyako before he left. The engagement ring he held was engraved with the words "Together Always" on the inside. He smiled, and remembered how happy he was when he bought it – just two days before he became lost in this village. He wandered down to the gate that led to the Kurosawa House, still musing over how to ask Miyako for her hand in marriage. He rounded the corner and immediately came to a halt.

There was a path of crimson butterflies, leading up to the gate…which was now unlocked and open. The butterflies fluttered about, one landing on Masumi's shoulder. His eyes grew dark as he felt himself pulled in the direction of the gate, the bare outlining of a girl in a white kimono before him…

§ § §

Miyako sat at the top of the stairs, holding onto her red notebook, as she wrote slowly, her hand shaking furiously.

_I must be tired. If I start to relax, I pass out. Even in a crazy place like this. The darkness here is creeping into my dreams. Slaughter, rivers of blood, fallen people, a woman in a bloodstained kimono, insane laughter, and twin sisters calling out "Don't kill me!". _

That woman's laugh is seared into my mind. I don't want to sleep anymore.

_I can't move... _

I'll wait here.

He'll be back

He'll find the way out.

If he comes back

Miyako looked up as she heard the door creak open. She peered down from the staircase, and saw a figure walk through the hall, then pass under the drape. Something lay on the ground where the figure walked.

_He came._

She put her book down, limping down the stairs slowly. She went over to the hall and kneeled down, looking at the item dropped. Her flashlight! She looked up and towards where the figure went. Masumi! It had to have been him – he took her flashlight with him! She picked the flashlight up and hurried towards the drape, then stopped. Something…something in the air didn't feel right to her. She shivered involuntarily and pushed the drape out of her way.

"Masumi…" she said slowly. "Where are you?" she called. When no answer came, she proceeded into the hallway further. As she walked, things began to be blurry, unreal. The panels of the wooden walls turned new, and two twins were hanging by ropes from the ceiling, their throats in the nooses. A moment later, and they were gone once more. She continued on, and saw Masumi round the corner, back to the coal brazier room. She followed him as best she could, her leg throbbing. The face in the wall peered at her as she passed, and she could've sworn the eyes moved to watch her. She walked down the new hallway, to the door at the end. The voices came back to her, screaming at her.

_I don't want to kill her…_

_Akane__, stop!_

_Mutsuki__, we'll always be together, I promise…_

_Why do you kill?_

_Sae__, we made a promise…_

_…Yae, you didn't keep it._

_The Kusabi is coming…_

_Itsuki__, help me! PLEASE!_

**_I dON't WanT tO KiLL AnYMorE_**

Miyako opened the door at the end and came around the corner of the wooden painting in front. Her eyes immediately fell upon the figure before her, and she recognized the shirt to be Masumi's. "Oh, Masumi…you came back…" she said, smiling. She stepped towards him.

**dON't**** CoMe NeAR mE!** she heard from him. She stopped, looking at him in confusion and fear. His voice was cracked, rough. She looked at him.

"What do you mean?" she asked. She stepped forward again, and shone the light on him. She froze once more. There were deep slashes in his shirt, through to his skin, which bled openly. A large stab wound by his chest was coming through his brown shirt, and his hair was a mess. Deep cuts in his exposed skin were easy to see in the new light, and she gasped in horror.

"Masumi! Oh god, Masumi!" she cried, shaking terribly. "Oh lord, what happened to you! What did this to you!" she screamed. She had really lost it this time, her mind had split in half. She could not take this tragic event. Masumi turned around to look at her, and she saw the various cuts and wounds on his chest and face. His eyes were lifeless, sunken in, and he looked at her with raw hate. He stepped towards her, and she moved back, smacking into the painting. Within one moment and another, he rushed her, bringing her weak form to the floor. She struggled, crying, trying to make sense of it all.

"Masumi, stop! Oh dear god, stop! MASUMI!" she screamed. He straddled her body, bringing his hands to her throat and squeezing with all of his might. So close to him now, his face mere inches from hers, she could see his form blur and shudder on its own. It was his spirit…his spirit had come to kill her, as his body had already been dead.

A loud scream erupted in her throat, a scream that tore through the darkness and pierced the night air. Her scream shattered her mind and soul into fragments of its original form, and her eyes overflowed with tears. Her scream died within her throat as he added pressure to her windpipe, and she gasped in pain as he strangled her. "Why…!" she cried, loudly enough for him to hear. Deep inside her mind, she heard only one thought through the broken shards of her soul.

**Miyako****…help me…**

It was Masumi, his dying words come back to her, as she saw her dream happen all over again. She saw the man with slashes on his body, white hair back and clothes torn, reaching out his clawed hands towards her Masumi, ripping through his body and soul and destroying his very existence. Her love went to find the way out in the Kurosawa House…and met his end. Behind her lover's vengeful soul that was killing her, Miyako glimpsed the woman in the bloodstained kimono, laughing insanely…always laughing.

**Even though we finally met…**

**_Masumi…why…?_**


	9. Haunted

**Haunted**

****

-

By Guardian795

_Here it is, everyone. The official beginning of _**Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly**_. Mio and Mayu, the happy sisters, are in for a big surprise, as you all know. Now, I think many of you are wondering about the title – Haunted. Sure, the village IS haunted, etc. But, that's not the true reason. You'll see here, in this chapter, why it is not the reason. But, now, here is the synopsis, basically, of the game and this fan fiction, according to the game:_

**Twin girls are visiting their childhood playgrounds when a mysterious crimson butterfly comes into the area, and Mayu, the older twin, runs after it, feeling drawn to it. Mio, the younger twin, follows after her, and they find themselves trapped in an eerie world in which they cannot escape. Mio and Mayu possess a strong sixth sense, Mayu being the stronger in that category. Mayu was injured in a childhood accident, and relies heavily on Mio, not straying too far from the younger twin. Mio and Mayu, together, find an antique camera that has the power to exorcise the ghosts that are caught in this village, in a constant loop of their final day, as the village is forever in darkness. The girls have no choice but to find a way out, and in their discovery, they find the means to which the village found its dreaded end.**

_Now, as I've promised, I have the names for the other characters, or at least some of them:_

**Character Names**

**Mio – Water Channel (_Her name also has the kanji for "Zero", like the game, Project Zero)_**

**Mayu – Cocoon _(Quite fitting, as you'll see later)_**

**Amakura (Their last name) – Heaven's Treasure (_Hmmm….)_**

**Miyako Sudou – Capital (First Name) / (Can't find last name)**

**Masumi Makimura – (Can't find, but will keep looking)**

**House Names**

**Kurosawa – Black Swamp**

**Tachibana – Standing Flower**

**Kiryu – Paulownia Tree Life**

**Osaka**** – Hill Meeting**

**Tsuchihara – Hammer Field**

_This beginning takes place about 1 year after Masumi and Miyako disappeared into the village, which means the year is now _**1956**_. Please, bear with me. All answers will be revealed when Mio and Mayu discover them. Enjoy! One last note: _**PLEASE! When I say older sister in this chapter, I mean born FIRST!**

**Author's Note: LISTEN TO THIS SONG! This song sounds creepy in the beginning, but it's great. I've tried setting the music to the English promo video, and it's perfect! XD Go out and listen to this song!**

§ § §

**Chapter 9: Haunted**

**Haunted**

****

_Evanescence; Amy Lee_

Long lost words whisper slowly to me

Still can't find what keeps me here

When all this time I've been so hallow inside

**I know you're still there**

Watching me

Wanting me

I can feel you hold me down

Feeling you

Loving you

I won't let you hold me down

Hunting you

I can smell you alive

Your heart pounding in my head

Watching me

Wanting me

I can feel you hold me down

Saving me

Raping me

Watching me

Watching me

Wanting me

I can feel you hold me down

Feeling you

Loving you

I won't let you hold me down

§ § §

_"Mayu?"_ _the little girl called. The girl had short, black hair, and wore a pretty white shirt and a black skirt, followed by black knee socks and black shoes. She walked back along the forest path a few feet. "Ma—yu!" she shouted, louder this time. However, looking down a small break in the ledge of the path nearby, her gaze fell several feet down, seeing her hurt twin, wearing identical clothes, down at the bottom of a small hill, unconscious. _

_ "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry..!"_

Mio Amakura stared at the creek water from her seat on a small boulder. Sunlight glinted off of the water, reflecting the light in her violet eyes. Her short, black hair blew slightly in the breeze as she watched the water meander under her. Her features were twisted between pain and remembrance, her concentration solely on that memory from so long ago. A pair of hands suddenly grabbed her shoulders, and a quiet voice above her said, "We used to play here all the time…"

Mio lifted her gaze from the water to an identical pair of violet eyes, and the all too familiar face of Mayu Amakura, her older twin. "Yeah…" Mio whispered. Though they looked alike, the twins differed only in their outfits. Mio, the younger of the two, wore a 4 piece outfit, consisting of a black camisole with lace, a brown blouse with white lace trimmings on the collar, a short white skirt with lace trimmings and a black three-quarter length pants with black lace trimmings. On her feet, she wore white socks and black shoes with a strap over the ankles.

Mayu, however, wore a two piece costume consisting of a black blouse and a brown pinafore. The black blouse had a stylized cheongsam collar design with slightly puffed short sleeves with simple black corded lace trimming. She also wore dark brown leather boots and a white bandage around her right knee. Mio sighed as she thought of the bandage; the sign of Mio's carelessness as a child. Both girls, however, wore something in common. On the front of their shirts, they wore a stylized butterfly with 6 wings, made out of red ribbon, making it resemble a flower of some sort as well.

Mayu stepped away from her sister's back, also stepping down from the rock. "All of this will be gone soon…" she said, a little sadly. This was their old home, of course.

Mio turned and looked at her sister. "Is your leg okay?" she asked. "Does it hurt?"

Mayu managed a small smile for her younger sister. Mio always felt responsible for her since they were younger. "It does a little, but, I'm fine," she said, sitting down, back-to-back with Mio. The twins looked up at the trees and the sunlight in thought. Mayu's thoughts wandered to that day…so long ago. The day she forgave Mio and forever became a burden. The day that they made a promise…

"Mio?"

The younger twin looked over. "Yes?" she asked.

Mayu blanched a bit, thinking better of bringing up that memory. "Um…never mind," she quickly said. Her eyes wandered to something in the forest.

Though Mayu was quickly distracted, Mio was not. She knew what her sister was going to say. She turned her head back to the creek below her feet, and she frowned sadly as she remembered…

_"Come on! Come on!" Mio called. She ran up the mountain path, her black skirt trailing behind her._

_ "Wait!" Mayu cried from a few feet behind her. "Mio please…don't leave me-" she called. Her foot slipped on a break in the mountain path as she was finishing her sentence, and she fell down the steep hill, screaming. _

Mio came back to reality as she stared at the water. Thinking of why Mayu dropped the subject so fast, she began to turn around to her sister. "Mayu…about that time back then…" she started, then saw that Mayu was no longer there. She looked around. "Mayu?" she called slowly. Her gaze scanned around the beginnings of the forest, and she spotted her sister. Mio watched her, but then she saw Mayu hurriedly limping after a crimson butterfly. Mio's eyes widened before she stood up and hurried after her sister.

"Mayu!" she called. She rounded a couple of trees before gaining sight of her sister once more, still chasing the butterfly. "Where are you going!" As she ran for her sister, she passed a moss-covered rock, which dimly resembled a carving of two twins, and when she did, the sky went dark. Mio paused and hesitated as the darkness closed in around her. She spun in circles hastily, frightened and confused as to the sudden darkness. However, she stopped as she spotted Mayu up ahead, her fleeing form illuminated by the glow of the butterfly. As she glimpsed her sister, however, Mayu's form turned into a woman looking exactly like her but wearing a white kimono. In a moment, Mayu's form returned to normal.

"No, stop…wait!" Mio called, running after her. Mayu's form changed again and returned to normal. "Mayu!" she screamed, catching up. She reached out her hand and grabbed her sister's shoulder, as her form changed once more to the woman in the white kimono. She turned the person around, and she found herself looking into an unknown face. Mio gasped as she jolted back. The woman, and Mayu, was gone. She stared at her hands, then looked up, spotting the moon in the sky. Night…but how?

She hugged herself lightly, for the air had gotten colder. She was afraid…afraid for Mayu and for herself. They were lost…but where, and how? Upon further inspection of the area, she could see a path forward, and a path back. _Maybe I'm dreaming…maybe I can leave this place…_ she thought. She hurried back from where she came, but it wasn't long before she found the path blocked by a moss-covered stone. "What?" she asked aloud. She walked towards it. "This wasn't here…" she muttered. She kneeled down and wiped her hand across the rock. An engraving of two twins was there…but the one twin was missing its head.

"No use trying to go back," she said. She ran back to where she was, then continued onwards, hoping to catch up to wherever Mayu had gone. As she rounded a bend in the path, she could see moving lights, like torches being carried. She stopped running, watching these. Was there someone there? Was Mayu carrying one? She walked up the path.

_"I'm sorry…"_

Mio looked up and saw a red Torii gate, and beneath it, was the woman in the white kimono.

_"I'm so sorry…!"_

Mio looked at the girl. A crimson butterfly passed by her vision, and when it passed, the girl was gone, and Mio was standing under the gate. She looked around slowly, trying to get her bearings, when yet another crimson butterfly passed before her, leading her vision elsewhere, to a lone figure standing at the hill top. Mio walked forward, until the light from the moon hit the figure just right.

"Mayu?" she called to her sister. In response, Mayu turned around, and multitudes of butterflies swarmed around her, flying off from where they were. Mio looked around at them in utter astonishment, unsure of what to do.

"The Lost Village…" Mayu whispered. Mio glanced at her, walked towards her, and finally came to her side.

"I've heard about this place," Mayu said quietly, looking down. Mio followed her gaze to find an old, broken down, village.

"A long time ago," Mayu went on, "a village disappeared during a festival. People who get lost in the woods are trapped by the village. Could this be that place…?"


	10. The Lost Village

**Haunted**

****

-

By Guardian795

**_Author's Note: _**_Sorry about the short chapter, and for the song at the beginning, for those of you who don't like the band. It's not my favorite, but I heard it one day while playing the Fatal Frame 2 Promo Video, and nearly fell out of my chair. It's a good combo. But, anyway, to inform you, this chapter **WILL BE LONGER**. Good news for you people out there who like this story: _**I will be writing a Fatal Frame 1 fan fiction when I am finished with this story. **_I have already started (mostly because I had some inspirations for the first few chapters), but I need a poll once more._

**Again:**

**1) ****Which ending should be done for this fan fiction?**

**2) ****Would you like me to use the same format of writing the Fatal Frame 1 that I used here? (Going in chronological order and filling in the blanks later) Or, would you rather me tell it like the game goes?**

**3) ****What ending should I use for the Fatal Frame 1 fan fiction?**

_ Yes, I know, crazy stuff, but I want your opinion. I already chose a name for my next fan fic, and it should be just as good as this one (I'm hoping so, anyway). _

** BREAKING NEWS! Fatal Frame 3 will have three playable characters:**

** Rei Kurosawa**

** Kei Amakura**

** Miku Hinasaki**

**Yes, our beloved Miku is back! And…the hell? A LIVING Kurosawa? Anyway, head to _Beyond the Camera's Lens_** **and check out that info. More to come. Release date is July 28th for Japan, November 20th for US. **

** The name is Zero Shisei no Koe. English version will be Fatal Frame III: The Tormented.**

_ Recap: Mio and Mayu have stumbled on everyone's favorite village and must now try to escape it. Those of you who have played the game know what will happen, but I won't say anything, because there are some who have not played it._

_Have fun!_

§ § §

**Chapter 10: The Lost Village **

****

Mio stared straight ahead, down the long hill that she stood on, at the dark and luminous village. Old and decrepit, it had not been inhabited for years. But if this was true…why was no one here any longer? Did they all pass away? Did they contract a strange disease? Mayu stood not two feet from her, clutching her hands together before her in fear. Her fragile frame shook lightly, either from the cold or from her fear, and her eyes were wide as she looked at the village. Her gaze was strangely distant…as though she was experiencing something horrid, or something from a long lost memory, just out of reach.

Mio put her hand on her twin's shoulder. Mayu looked at her, her gaze growing normal as she focused on her sister. "You okay, Mayu?" Mio asked.

Mayu nodded, a small smile forming. "Of course, Mio. I'm just cold…and a little afraid…" Mio nodded, taking her hand.

"Come on, let's leave," Mio told her, leading her towards the Torii gate she had passed under. Upon reaching it, she stopped. "Mio?" Mayu called.

"There's no path…" Mio muttered. Mayu glanced around her. "What?" she asked. Her sister walked up to the gate. Tall grasses and thick briars lay in the covered path. Trees enclosed around the end of the gate, like the forest had closed itself off. Mio walked into the bushes, but the briars stuck and stung at her legs. She gave a gasp of pain and looked around for an exit.

A small opening in between the briars and the trees could be seen. It was small, filled with rocks and thorns above. Mio blanched – Mayu would not be able to leave that way. It was too risky, for she could be hurt. "Mio?" her sister called. Mio turned around and made her way back to her sister. "Is there a way out?" Mayu asked.

"No," Mio lied. "There's no way out this way." Mayu looked past her eyes and saw the real truth. There was a way out - Mio wouldn't take it because of her. Mayu looked down. "I'm sorry…" she whispered. Mio placed her arms around her sister.

"Never be sorry about anything, Mayu. It's not your fault. I would never leave you behind." Mayu rested her head on her sister's shoulder. "We made a promise, always to be together, Mayu. We'll keep that promise. I won't go anywhere without you by my side," Mio assured her.

Mayu looked up at her sister and slowly nodded. "Okay…let's go, then. I don't like this place at all." Mio nodded and took her sister's hand. She walked with her back to the top of the hill, looking down into the village. _What can we do?_ thought Mio. Mayu, beside her, pointed down a small path to their right. "Mio…there's a path to the village."

"Are you sure that it's safe to go?" Mio asked. Mayu shook her head.

"No…I don't…but maybe someone's there with a map or something." Mio shrugged. It was doubtful…but the only plan they had. She walked with Mayu down the small path, looking around at the scenery. Mio noticed the large bits of fog and the darkness that seemed to close around the village like a blanket. It wasn't too hard to see where they were going…but it wasn't very open either. Mio kept walking until she tripped over something and landed with a hard thud on the ground.

"Mio!" Mayu cried, going to her sister. Mio slowly picked herself up. "I'm fine…just…" She showed Mayu a large black side bag. "I tripped on this.

Mayu investigated it and dug her hands into it. She pulled out several red notebooks and a photo. "Mio, look!" she said, showing Mio a photo of a woman and a man, college aged. The woman had long, black hair, and wore a black skirt and white shirt. The man wore tan pants, white undershirt and tan jacket. His short, black hair was combed back neatly, and his arm was around the woman's waist. "They must've liked each other," Mayu commented.

"But who are they?" Mio asked. "Is there a name?"

Mayu looked the picture over, and read aloud, "College photo, 1855. Makimura and Sodou." Mio reached into the bag and withdrew two newspaper clippings. "What's that, Mio?"

"They're newspaper clippings from last year. One is about a man named Masumi Makimura, who was a surveyor for the dam that's going to be built here. He disappeared mysteriously. The second clipping talks about how the search parties gave up after ten days."

"That's terrible…" Mayu murmured. Mio put the papers and the picture back into the bag and put it down. "Maybe…whoever brought this…is still here…" Mayu said quietly.

"Let's hope," Mio told her. The twins began to walk along the small path towards the village below. As they walked, Mio counted two more stones with twins on them. The stones were covered in moss, and weeds grew around them…but both twins seemed intact with hardly any scratches on them, unlike the one she passed earlier. As they wound around the trail, two houses came into view. One, on the right, seemed destroyed, barely intact. The one on the left seemed very different, like it had be cleaned up around the front recently. As Mio and Mayu approached the houses, a pale apparition passed 50 yards in front of them, walking towards the door to the cleaner house. Mayu paused for a moment, and Mio stopped to look back at her. "What's wrong, Mayu?"

Mayu looked at her sister with a look of confusion and doubt. "Oh…nothing…" she muttered, going over to her sister. Mio looked at her with doubt, but continued to walk forward towards the house. As the girls walked by a closed lattice window, a light passed over it…like the light of a flashlight or lamp that came from the inside. Mayu looked at Mio's back, but stayed behind her younger sister. "I wonder if somebody's here…" she said. As Mio stared ahead, a gentle hand touched her right shoulder. Mio looked back only slightly and put her hand on the other hand, believe Mayu was there.

Mayu walked in front of her younger sister, and the hand remained, attached to another arm. Mio's eyes widened. **_"Are you leaving me again?"_** a voice whispered as the hand slipped out from under Mio's hand. Mio whipped around, but found no one there. Mayu looked back at Mio, who was now staring at her hand in disbelief.

"Mio?" she called, a little worried. Mio looked over at her. "Oh…sorry," the younger twin said. Mayu nodded and opened the door to the house, Mio beside her.

§ § §

A small open hallway to put shoes and other things greeted the twins. A lattice to their left stood before them, and Mio could see that a small room lay beyond it. Two kimonos hung from stands, and three boxes were in the back. Mio saw a door up ahead, in front of them, and walked towards it. Mayu followed, and as the older twin passed the lattice, the pale woman with black hair watched her. Mayu looked back, but saw no one. Mio opened the door to the house, and Mayu came to her side.

Mio opened the door and walked into the larger portion of the house. The sunken fireplace, in the center of the room, was filled with mold and dust. The paper folds to block out viewers were ripped and torn, the paper old. The floorboards were dusty and old, and creaked when stepped on. But, the strangest thing, was that there were lit candles everywhere. Mio looked around at all of the moldy and dusty things. "Isn't there anyone here?" she asked aloud. She turned around to Mayu. "Should we look around?" she asked, then saw Mayu shaking. "Mayu?" she asked. Her sister continued to shake.

"What's wrong?" she cried, putting a hand on Mayu's arm. Mio's mind exploded into a vision. She tried to pull her hand back, but Mayu grasped hold of it. She wanted her sister to see the vision she was having.

_"Masumi!" a voice called. Female…soft…and so distant. A young woman wearing a white shirt and a black skirt came into the scene. She held a flashlight in her hand that reflected her black eyes and hair. "Where are you!"_

_ She was looking through the woman's eyes now…Mio could feel the woman's feverish mind as her own. She walked down a forlorn hallway in the darkness. "Masumi…" the woman's voice rasped, so unlike what she said before. "Where did you go…" she rasped again, as two twins in violet kimonos were shown, their throats hanging in nooses in an unknown hallway, not the one she was walking in moments before. The twins disappeared, and as the woman walked, a white, shadowy figure of a man turned the corner up ahead. Strange noises occurred, but the woman continued to go on._

_ A face in the wall, staring at her…always staring… Mio could feel the tension in the woman as she walked past._

_ "**I don't want to kill her…"** a little voice said. **"Azami…"** _

**_"Why didn't you kill me back then…? Kill me, Yae…"_**

_ The woman was now in front of a wooden door, which she opened. She entered the next room, a painting to her left, and a light flickering above her head. The man she had seen before stood, his back turned. He jerked, and the light went out._

**I don't want to kill anymore**

****

_ Mio could see the woman now, not through her eyes, but as if she was looking at her. The woman shrieked at the top of her lungs, as the man lunged onto her, grabbing her throat and crushing her windpipe. Her scream died in her throat as she looked up at the man, who was bitterly slashed and bleeding profusely. _

_ A girl in a white bloodstained kimono, laughing maniacally amidst all of the bodies of those she destroyed. Laughing…_

**_Why…!_**

**__**

Mio jumped back a bit as the vision finally ended, her hand leaving Mayu's arm. She stared at her hand as the thoughts soared through her mind like rockets. "What was that?" she asked Mayu.

"I don't know…" Mayu replied, also shaken by the vision. "I don't know."

Mio shook her head. "Come on…let's look around." She took her sister's hand and walked with her down the hall. As they walked, they passed under a drape with the symbol of Ginger on it, the symbol and fabric worn away with age. Mio looked around at the old walls, filled with cracks and rust. As she passed down the hallway, a path opened to her left, and another to her right. The left led to another hallway, the right led to a staircase. She continued on though, and when she did, her sixth sense went off. She looked up and saw the black haired woman turn the corner down the hall.

_ "Masumi…"_

Mio halted, confused. How did that woman suddenly appear there? "Wait!" she called, running off down the hall after her. "Mio!" Mayu cried, limping after her sister. Mio turned the corner, but the woman was no longer there. Another drape was at the end of the hall, and a door. Mayu caught up to her sister. "Why…did you…run?" she asked.

"That woman…she was just here!" Mayu looked at her with uncertainty, but followed her sister as they continued down the hall. Mio opened the door at the end, going inside with Mayu right behind her. As they entered the room, both girls could feel a great difference. Mio looked around the darkened room, trying to see everything. To her left was a paper screen, filled with dulled and old colors. As Mio walked further into the room, she went around the screen and saw only a coal brazier, and an open door to the outer garden.

"It's…a bit cold…" Mayu commented. Mio nodded in agreement and continued to look around. She stopped when she saw another little red notebook. She picked it up and opened it, reading the words.

_Masumi... It's me, Miyako. I came to look for you._

_Let's go home together. Together, we can make it. Call for me if you find this. I'll be nearby._

- _Miss you!_

Mio looked to the front cover and scanned it. The date was around one year ago. "Someone WAS here, Mayu. About a year ago, at least."

"Where are they now?" Mayu asked. Mio shook her head. "Let's go, then. There was another path that we can take. Maybe it has something we can use to leave this place." Mio nodded and followed her sister back out into the hall. As they rounded the corner again, the woman appeared, heading down the hallway they were about to go to.

_"Why…"_

Mio and Mayu hurried after her and into the next hallway where she had disappeared. A door was at the end, and Mio went to it. "It's…it's slightly open," she told Mayu. Mio opened the door the rest of the way, revealing a ransacked case of books and files, a small table and, to the left, another open room. Mio went over to the table while Mayu looked over to the other room.

"It's completely open…like a living space," she said. Mio looked over the table, but something shining caught her eye. A small mirror stood on a much smaller table nearby. She kneeled down and looked into it. Her long hair was a bit disheveled from running, but she looked fine. In the mirror behind her, Mayu stood nearby. Mio smiled to her through the mirror, then gasped.

The girl in the white kimono stood beside Mayu, smirking. Mio whipped around, but only Mayu stood there. "Mio?" she questioned.

"Nothing, don't worry," the younger twin said, getting up. She crossed over to the table, where she found a flashlight. "Mayu, look!" she cried. Mayu smiled. "Good, this'll help."

Mio also found a manual under it. "The…Camera Obscura?" she asked. "Created by Dr. Kunihiko Aso."

"What's that, Mio?" Mayu asked. Mio shrugged, but as her hand touched the manual, her sixth sense went off, guiding her. She turned her head and shined her new light onto the floor, where an antique camera lay on its side. She walked over to it and leaned down. As she touched it, Mayu cried, "That's…!"

§ § §

_"So…this is the Camera Obscura…" Seijiro Makabe murmured. He brought the camera down from his eyes to look at the stone in front of him._

_"It is said that the camera takes pictures of impossible things…" he muttered, bringing the camera back up. He looked through the viewfinder, centering the stone in his sights. As his finger rose to take the picture, multitudes of hands shot out at him, grabbing for him. He quickly hit the shutter button, and a picture was taken._

_The stunned man fell to the ground. "What was that!" He stared at the stone, which did not move. "I can't believe…so it's true."_

_"This thing must never be used again…"_

§ § §

Mio came back to reality with a start. _The Camera Obscura…_

"Mio?" Mio lifted her head and turned. She pointed her flashlight at her twin sister, who looked pale and worried. "What's that?" she asked Mayu. She grabbed the camera as she stood. A loud knocking came on the side wall. Mayu grabbed Mio's arm.

"Is someone there?" Mio asked quietly. The banging continued on the walls, going down the hall towards their door, each time…louder. The two twins clutched each other tightly. Finally, there was a banging on the door, which gave way to silence.

"Mio…" Mayu moaned in fear. Mio slowly let go of her sister and walked towards the door. "Mio, don't go…" Mayu called. Mio looked at her.

"Just stay there…I just want to look," she said. She got to the door and pulled it open quickly. The door opened about an inch before it was stopped forcefully. A dark, lifeless eye stared at her. Mio gasped and jumped back, the door shutting. Mayu grabbed her own arms and fell to her knees as a coldness came into the room. She shuddered visibly.

Mio could only glance at Mayu before a figure of a woman passed through the door. White shirt, black skirt, black hair…it was the woman leading them! Mio looked at her in utter confusion, but also in wonder. She pulled up the camera and aimed at her, taking a picture. Within moments, the apparition vanished, leaving no trace.

Mio lowered the camera. "It's gone…" she said quietly. She stared down at the camera in her hands. Mayu came to her side, looking better.

"Come on, let's get out of here," she urged her younger sister. Mio nodded in agreement, and the girls hurried out of the room. Mio ran for the front door, grabbing the handle and pulling. The door refused to budge.

"No!" she cried, pulling harder. Mayu gasped behind her. Mio turned around and looked over Mayu's shoulder, where a strange, silhouetted figure stood for a moment before disappearing. Mio walked up to where the figure once stood, trying the door. Once again, locked, but the camera in her hand started to vibrate and react strangely.

Mio held it up to the door, and took a picture. The door's photo showed a coal brazier. Mio and Mayu looked at it closely. "I know where that is…that room, remember?" Mayu said. Mio nodded and the two girls returned to the room where they found the note.

There, Mio searched the brazier carefully, finding nothing. "What are we supposed to do?" she asked. Mayu looked over. "Take a picture?" she asked.

Mio nodded and took a photo of the brazier. She gasped in fright and dropped the camera.

"Mio, what is it!" Mayu cried. Mio showed her the picture that came out. A man, his face torn and slashed, was looming in the shot, as though the camera was shown through the eyes of another. Mayu backed away.

"W-w-what…what is that!" she cried.

"I don't know…" Mio said. "Come on, let's go back to that room." She took Mayu's hand gently and led her sister back to the door. Mio opened it with ease, unlike before. The two girls went into the room, Mio shining the flashlight.

The room was dark, with two kimono boxes nearby, a lattice on the left wall, a drape on the right, and a closet on the right. "Mio, look!" Mayu cried. Mio looked over at the drape, and behind it lay a blanket with a lump in it. Mayu trembled, but Mio went ahead and looked. "It's okay. It's not moving," Mio told her. _If that's a good thing…_

Mio looked around that corner of the room. "There's nothing here."

Mayu sighed. "Let's keep looking." Mayu went to the door, and Mio followed. Suddenly, with a loud thump, a piece of the wall fell off. There, in a part of the wall, was a key. "Mio…the key!" Mio ran over and grabbed it.

Mayu looked at her with a smile as they exited the room with their prize. "That key must be to the upstairs room. Maybe it'll help us get out."

_Masumi…_

Mayu jumped, and the two girls looked up. Climbing the stairs which they were next to was the woman with black hair. She ascended the stairs slowly. "She's leading us…" Mayu said. Mio nodded and the girls followed her. The woman's image led them to the room before it disappeared. Mio quickly used the key and the girls went in.

They entered a small hallway with a room to each side. Mayu looked in the right one. "Nothing here," she said. Mio nodded and walked with her older twin to the left room. There was another doorway there, which they entered. This room was also empty, save for an unused kimono, but there was another doorway in front of them.

They entered the room, which they could see was a small study. Mio walked into the room, holding Mayu's shaking hand. It was cold in this room. Suddenly, the door to the other room closed and locked behind them. Mayu made a small noise of fear.

"Shhh…it'll be okay, Mayu," her sister reassured her. Mayu suddenly pointed downwards. Mio followed her gaze and spotted another red book. Mio kneeled down and read from it. Mayu kneeled behind her and did the same. All of the writing was nonsense and insane ravings.

"She came to this village looking for her boyfriend," Mio said. "And then…where did she go?"

Mayu stood up from her sister's side, taking her hand from her sister's shoulder. She went over to the boarded up window. "This place…must be…"

_Why…?_

Mayu turned around and saw the woman's ghost kneeling behind Mio as Mayu had done minutes before. The woman's hand was on her sister's shoulder. "Mio!" she yelled. The woman immediately took her hand from Mio's shoulder as the girl turned around.

Mayu began to back away slowly towards the door and away from the ghost and Mio. "Mayu?" Mio asked.

_Why…?_

Mio heard it this time, the sound of the woman's dead voice. She slowly turned her head to her right shoulder, and there was the woman's face, or at least half of it. Mio screamed and fell onto her rump. She quickly scrambled backwards as the woman stood up and stared at her with cold eyes. "Mio, the camera!" Mayu yelled. Mio raised the camera towards the woman, but she vanished.

Mio turned around and looked about the room. Mayu put her hands over her head and bent down slightly in fear. The sound of crying filled the room, and the woman appeared again, her back to the sisters. She was sobbing into her hands.

_Oh, Masumi…why…_

Mio stepped towards her, but the woman suddenly disappeared again. Mio looked around. Mayu screamed behind her, and Mio turned. The woman had Mayu by the throat! "Mayu!" Mio screamed. She turned the camera on the woman and shot a picture. The woman screamed and was thrown back, Mayu crumpling to the floor. "Are you okay?" she asked Mayu. Mayu nodded, looking up.

"Mio!" she screamed, pointing behind her.

Mio turned around as the woman's hands grabbed her own throat. Mio screamed, the feeling of being strangled filling her body and soul. Death began to creep into her body. Mio turned the camera down and shot off another picture into the ghoul's face. The woman was flung back a few feet, then sprang back. Mio shot another picture as she drew close. The woman's hands went through the camera and back into Mio, as though to grab and rip her soul. Both Mio and the woman were thrown back.

_Masumi…_ the woman whispered before she sank to the floor and disappeared. Mio hit the floor on her back, everything spinning and her world turning white as her sister rushed to her side. Mio saw the woman, Miyako Sudo, being killed by her boyfriend one more time.

Another image flashed into her head: of Mayu running off, following a butterfly.

**_"Crimson…Butterfly…"_**


	11. Protector

**Haunted**

****

-

Guardian795

_Author's Note: Sorry it took so long for the last chapter. I got really bored with this fan fiction, but wanted to desperately write my endings. So, I pushed myself to finish that long, long, loooooong chapter I gave you all. Sorry about that._

_Anyway, I am happy to report that I was thinking about finishing this and my Fatal Frame 1 fan fiction, so that by **November 20th**, I can start a Fatal Frame 3 fan fiction._

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Someone we all know and love shall be showing himself in this chapter._

§§§

**Chapter 11: Protector**

****

Mio slowly woke up, her head pounding. Her forehead was doused in sweat and her back ached, probably from her fall. She slowly sat up, her eyes finding the camera at her side. "Mayu…why didn't you wake me…" she mumbled sleepily. She looked around the room suddenly, not hearing her sister. Mayu wasn't there. Mio got to her feet, picking the camera up and hurried out of the newly opened room. She ran outside and hurried to the stairs. There, she spotted Mayu downstairs at the door.

"Mayu!" she cried. Her sister turned and looked at her, her eyes glazed over as if in a trance.

"I'm sorry…I have to go…" she muttered before exiting. Mio hurried after her. Once outside, Mio clicked her flashlight on, following her heart and where she believed her sister had gone. She ran down a small path of stones in between two houses until the path separated. She turned the corner and looked beyond the right house. There was Mayu, limping along quicker than she had ever seen her go. Mio hurried after her and around the second corner of the house. She was met with some stairs and she paused, no Mayu in sight. _How'd she go down so quickly with her injury?_ Mio shrugged off the feeling of uneasiness and ran down the stairs. At the bottom was another turn, and she took it, finding Mayu at the other end of the path by a large gate.

"MAYU!" she screamed. Mayu opened up the double doors and walked inside. Mio hurried after her, just reaching the gates before they closed in her face. Mio pulled on the door frantically. It was locked. She looked down and saw that two keys were needed. She sighed once more and turned around.

_There she is!_

_ Get her!_

_ Don't let her get away!_

Mio came face-to-face with three male ghosts - one with a torch, one with a scythe, and one with a staff. They were coming for her! Mio ran into their midst, weaving quickly to avoid their weapons. She hurried back up the stairs and to where the path separated. She stopped to catch her breath.

"Why…why were they after me…! What did I do?" she asked herself. Suddenly, a crimson butterfly danced into her vision. She stood straighter and looked at it. It danced just out of reach of her arm, and when she tried to catch it, it flew a couple of feet away. "It's trying to get me to follow." She kept walking after the butterfly, and it led her past the Osaka House to an older portion of the village. The house next to the Osaka House was old and broken down, filled with rotting boards and decay. She walked past it and saw a small storage house. The butterfly led her to the door, then disappeared.

Mio looked at the door and found it locked, but a smaller door was to the side of the house that led to the back of it. Mio used the door and went into the backyard. Mio pointed her flashlight out in front of her and looked around. She walked into the backyard and turned the corner of the house. A small window was open in the back of the house. She looked over it and saw iron bars, like a cage…and a boy her age.

Mio gasped and he turned around. His hair was a remarkable silver color, his eyes icy blue. He wore a white/cream kimono, and his face displayed the same awe as hers. "Yae…" he breathed. "What are you still doing here?"

"Who are you?" Mio asked, confused. Her name wasn't Yae.

"The ritual's going to begin soon! If that happens…" the boy started, gloomily, holding the bars in his hands.

"The ritual?" Mio asked. The boy looked at her.

"The Crimson Sacrifice," he said.

"Sacrifice!" she cried. "Who are you!"

"Yae…you don't remember?" he asked. She shook her head. "Itsuki…Itsuki Tachibana."

Mio pointed her light a bit closer. His skin was darker than most, but he was beautiful. His eyes reflected a small amusement at her awe, but also a deep sadness. She wanted to touch him…see if he was real, or just another image.

"What?" he asked. "What are you looking at?"

"You…I guess," she said. "Are you…real?"

Itsuki laughed softly, a melodious laugh that made Mio smile. "Of course I'm real. I'm not a dream…at least, I hope I'm not."

Mio reached up towards him, and he did the same. Their palms met and she could feel his skin against her hand. She could touch him. "You're real!" she cried in surprise and happiness.

Itsuki smiled. "Of course I am. I told you that."

"It's just…everything that I've been through…nothing seems to be real anymore. Mayu went through the gate…"

"The gate? The big brown one?" Itsuki asked. Mio nodded and the silver haired boy went pale. "That's the gate to your house, the Kurosawa House. You'll need the keys." He moved away from the window and reached into his pocket. He handed her a wooden piece. "That's one of them. The other one is by a rock of the Twin Shrine Maidens somewhere in this village." Itsuki pointed to the rock in the yard of what it looked like. Mio nodded.

"I've seen them around here."

Itsuki nodded. "Go, and hurry! Rescue her!" Mio nodded. "If you cannot get out of the village, come find me. I may be able to help you."

Mio looked at him. "What if I need other help?"

"I can help with that too. Now, hurry." Mio nodded and hurried away. Itsuki watched her go, his sadness returning. He did, however, feel happy. "Yae…you've returned," he whispered to himself. "Maybe now…maybe now things will be different..."

§§§

Mio walked slowly away from the storehouse, the image of Itsuki lingering in her eyesight. "He seems so familiar…like a long lost friend…"

_ Or lover…_

Mio shook her head and thought. "Where would someone from this village hide a key?" She looked around, then thought about the entrance to the village, the other paths, anywhere. "If I lived here, I'd put it where no one would expect. Someplace where they all would remember, but people would never think of looking."

Her mind traveled back to where Mayu and she looked at the village. Such a haunting sight, she remembered thinking. Then her eyes widened. There was a twin stone there, like the one Itsuki pointed out. She hurried up the path to the entrance to the village. Sure enough, there was a stone there, and she quickly searched it. Suddenly, she felt a presence nearby. She slowly turned her head, looking around, but she saw no one. She picked out her camera and pointed it around, looking for anything. Suddenly, she saw a man's back. He wore normal clothes, a tan color. His hair was short and black, and he was looking at the Shinto gate nearby. She took a picture of him, and when the flash went off and she looked again, he was gone.

She kneeled back down and continued her search of the stone. Suddenly, she came across the wooden key exactly like the one Itsuki gave her. She smiled as she put it in her pocket.

_There she is! The twin!_

_ Get her! Get her now!_

Mio looked behind her to see the villagers from before, trying to get to her. She cried out in surprise and fear, running into their midst and past them. She nearly got hit by a staff from one, but managed to make it out okay…until she realized that only two were chasing her back there. She turned around and was met by a large scythe in her face. Mio screamed at the top of her lungs, turning another way and ducking away from the ghost before her. It reached for her, its hands going through her hair. Mio hurried back down the path and away from the apparitions who wanted her dead.

She slowed around the Osaka House, her body heaving from the stress and lack of air that was getting to her lungs. She sighed, holding the two keys in her hands. All of this…just for Mayu? Was it…was it really worth both of their lives?

Mio shook her head. Of course it was! She loved Mayu with all of her heart. She would never let her sister be hurt again…not after what happened before…

Mio nearly broke into tears but pulled herself together. _I have to find Mayu. I have to! She's my sister, and we will escape this village together…or die together here. I promised her…that we would always be together…_

Mio made her way back down to the large double doors that she saw Mayu disappear through. She put the keys into their appropriate slots and opened the doors. On the other side was a beautiful river, sparkling in the darkness, the only light other than her flashlight. A bridge, old, rickety and dangerous, stood before her. Mio began to cross the bridge, keeping one hand on the railing. A large crack came from under her foot and she looked down. _Poor Mayu_, she thought. _She must have been so afraid to cross this bridge._

As Mio passed half of the bridge, she heard a soft coughing sound and wheezing, like someone couldn't breathe. Her head began to hurt and her sixth sense flared. She slowly looked to the left, and there, floating in the water, was the ghostly figure of a woman in a white dress.

_Help me…it's…it's so **cold**…_

Mio brought the camera up and took a picture of this woman. If the camera could clear the ghost from the Osaka House, perhaps it could free this ghost as well. Mio withdrew the camera from her view when she was done, and the ghost was gone from the water.

Suddenly, a hand drifted before her eyes and Mio looked up. The ghost hung upside-down before her, stretching out her dead hand to Mio. She jumped back in fright as the ghost looked at her with cold, unfeeling eyes. The ghost suddenly drifted under the bridge and away from the girl, leaving only a cold breeze. Mio shook with fear. "What…what was…that…?" she gasped. She looked around and found no sign of the ghost, only a faint tickling of her sixth sense told her that the ghost was still present in the area.

Mio began to cross the bridge again when a loud roar filled her ears. She looked up and only had enough time to gasp as a wave suddenly splashed into her, sending her sprawling across the bridge to cling on the railing. She gasped in pain and cold as the water soaked her to the bone. A hard pain suddenly hit her from below – the ghost had grabbed her ankle. Mio screamed, trying to shake the woman off of her. Mio fell hard to the wood, and found herself dry. The ghost had only caused her to feel the cold and wet because it was how she had died. She grabbed her camera and stood just as the ghost came back for round two.

The ghost came up before her, reaching towards her once more. Mio quickly hit the button on the camera and the flash went off, blinding the ghost and injuring it. Mio waited until the ghost moved again, then she hit the button once more. She repeated this process until the ghost disappeared.

Mio sighed in relief and looked over across the bridge. A large house, probably the main house of the village, loomed before her in the mists. She continued her walk to the house and entered it through the large doors. As she opened the door, she put her flashlight in first. The beam hit a plant, and then a large gray drape. Past the drape stood a silent figure that Mio immediately recognized. "Mayu?" she called. She stepped into the house. As soon as she did, the door slammed shut behind her and Mio spun around. Seeing the door closed, she turned back to Mayu. Her sister was gone. Mio took another step into the house, and her flashlight began to flicker terribly.

"No…no, don't go out…" she groaned, hitting the flashlight to try and bring life back to it. The light danced around the room, and Mio's eyes barely glimpsed grotesque figures and tormented apparitions. The light died and Mio looked back up slowly in fright. "Something happened in this house…" she whispered. "And I'm about to find out…"


	12. Laughter in the Dark

**Haunted**

-

Guardian795

_Author's Note: Sorry it took so long for that last chapter, and for this one. I've been a bit busy with _**Fatal Frame III: The Tormented**_. Is it just me, or is this sequel not scary at all? It might just be me, don't worry. Anywho, where we left off, we had Itsuki pining for his lost Yae, and Mio hurrying after Mayu. _

§§§

**Chapter 12: Laughter in the Dark**

Mio put the flashlight away in despair. She couldn't use it now, even though the house was darker than the Osaka House. The darkness seemed to spread like mist, consuming every piece of wood and crack in the hall. She sighed softly and took a step forward in the darkness, her foot hitting a stair. She slowly and carefully climbed it, being as careful as possible. Until her eyes would adjust to the darkness, she was blind in this house. At the top of the few steps, her face was hit with something and she yelped, thrashing her arms and kicking out in fright. She fell over onto the floor, crying out in pain. She looked up and in darkness her eyes were getting used to was a gray drape with the butterfly symbol in the middle. "A drape…Mio, you need to get a grip on yourself," she muttered to herself, standing up.

_The twins that will become the sacrifice have returned._

Mio gasped and turned around to see a priest, a drape in front of his face and a staff in his hand. Dark robes clothed his body and he looked in Mio's direction. His figure faded slightly, then disappeared. "The sacrifice? Twins? Mayu!" she said, hurrying down the hall. If the priest had said twins, then Mayu had to be close. At the end of the short hallway were two doors. Mio tried the one on her right, but it was locked with a butterfly symbol. She then turned to the left side and found the door unlocked. She opened the door slowly.

_The Kusabi is coming...he's coming…_

Mio looked over and saw a man crouched behind an old kimono rack. He was shaking and hiding his face in his hands, obviously frightened out of his mind. Within a few minutes, the man disappeared. "Kusabi? That means 'wedge'…but…I don't understand…" Mio muttered. "What's a 'Kusabi'?"

She continued into the room, finding a door there. She grabbed it and was suddenly hit with a vision.

§§§

_Mayu_ _was in the hallway just outside of Mio's door, walking towards a voice that was calling her from the depths of the darkness. Three men, ghosts, ran towards her in fright. **The twins are coming!**_

_Mayu continued to walk, unhindered in her procession by anything. When she rounded a nearby corner, she heard a gentle voice call out in the night. _

**Yae**…**why did you leave me…? You promised…you promised we'd always, always be together…**

_Mayu_ _saw a white sliding door nearby and walked towards it. She opened it and looked inside, finding the great hall of the huge house. Standing by the fireplace was her own reflection, a woman identical to her in every way besides her clothing. She wore a stunning white kimono, glinting easily in the darkness. Mayu walked towards this girl, hearing that voice again._

**Yae**…**what about Itsuki? Why did we fail him? Why did you leave me behind? Please, Yae…come back to me…**

_As Mayu came closer to this girl, her reflection, her eyes widened. The front of her kimono was drenched in blood. The girl looked over at Mayu._

**Please come back…I'll wait…I'll wait for you forever…**

§§§

Mio gasped and stumbled back. "Mayu!" she called, throwing open the door and hurrying out into the hallway. She ran down the hall for a little while before a man's dying scream shattered her ears and she stopped, clutching her head. She had felt the scream, not heard it. She looked up, and slowly, a man's ghost slithered up from the ground. Mio gasped in horror at what her eyes saw.

The man's body was practically torn apart – slash marks adorned his body and he looked as if he was bleeding profusely at that very moment. Mio staggered back; she had never seen anything so horrifying in her life. She was ready to run for her life, but wanting to save Mayu forced her to plant her feet firmly into the floor and draw the camera. Taking careful aim, she took several shots, blasting the ghost away from her and into the darkness from whence it came. Mio quickly continued her run down the hall, easily recognizing the path to Mayu from her vision.

As Mio continued down the dark hallway, her only light from a candle nearby, lightning flashed outside through a window. As she rounded the nearby corner, where Mayu had gone, the candle winked out and she could hear a moaning from the wall. Mio stumbled backwards and drew her camera, staring at the wall ahead. Out of the wall came a woman looking exactly like the male ghost before her – slashed everywhere. The only difference was that this woman's arms were missing.

_My arms…my…arms…_

Mio quickly took a shot and heard the ghost scream and be flung backwards. She prepared another shot as the ghost came back, this time from the side, flinging the stubs of her arms wildly. Mio got off another shot, sending the ghost back into the darkness once again. As she reloaded her film, the ghost came from behind, and as she went for the shot, it flickered out of existence. "Huh?" Mio voiced. "Where…?"

From behind, the ghost flung its stub into Mio, and the teenager screamed as pain shot through her. She felt as though someone was putting a thousand slashes into her body. Her hands tightened in her pain and fear, and her finger hit the button on the camera, getting off a close shot at the ghost. Both Mio and the ghost were flung backwards, and the pain ceased. Mio gasped on the floor, looking weakly towards where the ghost was flung. She did not see it rise again.

Slowly, Mio picked herself off the ground. Holding her side in pain, she walked down the small path to a white sliding door, just like in her vision. As she touched the door, the light sound of laughter pierced her ears for a few moments before disappearing. "Mayu?" she called. The laughter didn't sound like Mayu's. She entered the room finding it looking exactly like it was in the vision, only Mayu was not in the center of the fireplace, and neither was the other strange girl.

Mio walked to the fireplace, looking around. Strangely, small spatters of blood adorned the fireplace, but didn't go anywhere beyond. _Did something happen here? Is Mayu okay! _Mio looked to her right and saw a set of old paintings. She looked over at them and saw a crane and a beautiful tree on the paintings. Behind them, she could barely see another path. There was a small path behind the paintings. Mio turned and walked past the fireplace to the end of it, following the small path. As she stepped off the wooden pattern on the fireplace, a crack of lightning sounded, and flickered through a window.

Mio turned as the thunder began to die off and sighed. Turning back to her path, she took a few steps before something collided with her foot in the darkness. Mio looked down only to come face-to-face with a freshly cut body. Mio screamed and staggered backwards, nearly tripping over another body. Freshly cut up bodies of men littered the room – there was no where to stand with them everywhere. Mio stumbled backwards towards the fireplace, and turned, suddenly stopping.

Standing there before her, in a white kimono stained with fresh looking blood and laughing maniacally, was what looked like Mayu. Her eyes lit up insanely, and her lips curled back into a sadistic smile, her laughter shrieked through the hall. The lightning and thunder clashed outside the window behind her. Mio only stared in horror, slowly backing up. Could this be her sister?

As the girl laughed, a disfigured shadow began to materialize behind her. Mio continued backing up, the figure behind the bloody Mayu beginning to take the form of a man. His clothes looked as though they were slashed through, his hair was thrown back, his right arm was roped to his chest and other ropes hung around his body. His body itself was skinny and bony, barely more than a skeleton in clothes. He began to advance upon Mio, her bloody sister still laughing maniacally behind him.

Mio stumbled back against the wall behind her, and a corpse lifted his bloody head and reached out an arm to Mio for help. She gasped, her sister shrieked, and in that moment, the corpse was ripped apart once more and collapsed, dead once more. Mio stared up in horror at the terrible sight, her sister laughing and this creature advancing upon her. Her sister's laugh only escalated a moment later, as the ugly apparition of death screamed itself.

Mio's scream answered it, and she ran full tilt to the other end of the room. She ran around the corner blindly, spotting a door there. She nearly ran into it in her desperation and she threw open the door frantically. Turning around for one last glimpse, the man was just turning the corner back at the end of the room. An eerie fog followed him, covering the walls and floor with the scent of death, decay and blood.

Gathering up her courage, Mio pointed the camera in the ghost's direction, aimed well, and fired off a shot. The camera's picture blurred terribly, and the ghost neither faltered nor halted in his path. The camera had no effect!

Mio quickly ducked out of the door and slammed it shut behind her. She stumbled back a pace, staring at the door. A cold feeling fell onto her shoulder and she screamed, jumping to a side. It was raining. Mio looked around. She had entered into an open garden and it was raining terribly. Lightning flashed through the sky and thunder rumbled the house. Mio looked around in fear, her whole body shaking with fright. The sky calmed and resumed its crying of cold rain. Mio looked back over at the door. Nothing was happening.

Believing that the ghost may have either given up pursuit or just didn't follow her through the door, Mio looked up at the sky. There was a winding staircase around the garden to an upper portion of the house. Mio went over to the stairs and began to climb them slowly, cautiously, her heart still pounding in her ears.

_Was…was that Mayu…?_

The thought was there still in her mind, the bloody girl in kimono, shrieking with the laughter of the damned. But, could that girl really be her sister? Her injured, helpless sister? Mio shook her head. It couldn't be. How could it be? Mayu would never…ever…hurt another living being on this earth. But…

Mio still couldn't shake the thought away. She had glimpsed death, and that face was her sister. "Get a hold of yourself, Mio! Mayu…Mayu would never do such a thing. She's your sister!" she scolded herself.

Mio began climbing the staircase again, when the sound of a ritual bell sounded. She turned, frantic. Above her, illuminated by a red glow of butterfly wings, was Mayu. "Mayu!" Mio shouted. She stopped, watching her sister pass. Why didn't she go after her? Mio still held the fear from earlier, that Mayu was that terrible devil that killed so many in the great hall…

Mio quickly shook her head and hurried up the stairs after her sister. She came to a long hallway, which she ran down until she saw a door to her left in the middle of the hall. She grabbed it then stopped. Something didn't feel right about that room. She stepped back. Thoughts flooded her mind about that room.

_It's taboo to open it…Father will be angry with me…_

"I've never seen this room in my life…how would I think it to be taboo?" Mio asked herself. She, nevertheless, continued down the hall, finding another door at the end. She opened it and came to a small room that must have been a guest room. A large red chest was to Mio's immediate left, and in the furthest part of the room to the left was a bookcase. Mio walked into the room and looked around. Nothing was unusual, but there was no sign of Mayu. Mio hurried to the other end of the room, past the tatami mats, to the next door.

Upon opening the door, Mio was filled with dread. The room was dark, and the only light came from something flickering dimly. Mio looked around. There was no candle, no real light. There were kimonos hanging on their racks, and a lone stool near one held a small doll on top of it. A red chest was opposite the stool and doll, which Mio wandered over to. The chest was only filled with old kimonos. "This must have been a storage room of sorts," Mio said quietly, looking in the dark. A door was just behind the doll and kimono, and she approached it slowly. As she neared it, she heard sounds of soft crying from behind the door.

Mio touched the handle of the door and pulled, but it was locked. As her hand touched the door again, she began to feel strange again. A shiver went down her spine and she took a step back. She took out her camera and pointed it at the door and took a picture. As the picture slowly developed, she closely examined it. The picture showed a door with bloody handprints on it.

"That looks like a door down a hallway I passed earlier…" Mio muttered sadly. "All that work to come here…and I have to go back."

As Mio walked back towards the door to the room, contemplating how she would get back through the main hall, she heard the shriek that was laughter. The laughter from the hall. Mio jumped back in fright and nearly screamed. Her blood turned cold and she was frozen in place for a long time as the laughter continued for a bit, then died out. It had sounded like it was in the room…all around her…in her mind, in her soul…

Mio slowly opened the door and made her way back to the garden slowly, always glancing over her shoulder to see if she was being followed by the Mayu-like apparition. As Mio began her descent down the stairs in the rain to the garden, lightning struck, and a long shadow of a girl struck the wall on the side, next to her own shadow. Screaming, Mio jumped, slipped on the wet wood, and fell down the stairs to the halfway flat. She hit her head against the wall with a cry, and she looked up. No one had been behind her. The rain was the only sound made against the wood, and the only other moving thing outside were the plants in the wind.

Mio picked herself up, wincing a bit as she felt the hurt of falling. She slowly made her way down the steps and to the door that led to the main hall. Could she go back in there? She quickly opened the door and stepped inside, then started to run. Any moment, she was afraid of seeing one of the two ghosts behind her. As she rounded the corner, she saw the ugly male ghost with the ropes on him. He lunged at her, and she sprung, barely missing his long hand. She hurried to the other side of the hall and grabbed the door. She swung it open and ducked outside. Without waiting to see if he came around the corner, she kept running, back to the hall she needed.

As she approached the hall, she heard the familiar moan of the roped ghost and jumped. He appeared in front of her, dragging another male ghost by the leg. The other ghost flailed constantly, crying out in terrible pain and agony. Mio was frozen in fear and didn't move until, at last, the two ghosts disappeared.

Mio wandered down the hall, following, until she found the bloody handprint wall. The door, to her left, was shut. Mio began to leave when the door quickly slid open. She turned back, fearful, but entered the room anyway.

Inside was a horror. Blood was everywhere, on the floor, the walls, the furniture, everything. The blood even smelled in the room, and seemed to be dripping, though it must have been very old blood. Mio saw, at the other end of the room, was a door swinging half on its hinge.

She approached it slowly, and when she touched the door handle, the door shut unceremoniously on her. The entrance door also shut. Mio yelped in surprise, looking around. The woman without arms was before her, screaming and shrieking at the top of her lungs. Mio began to back away, but her a moan from behind her and saw the man who had been cut up as well. They both struck her at the same time, and Mio screamed, but saw the worst possible thing in her mind.

_She was hiding in their bedroom, waiting for her husband. He had gone out to see why one of the servants was screaming. But she heard it…her husband screaming and yelling, and she looked out the window. She gasped. A man in white was dragging her husband along the ground. Her husband was cursing and yelling at the man in white._

"_No! Don't you go in there! No! Leave my wife alone!" he shouted. _

_His wife grabbed a large wooden block where they set small things down. She threw it at the man holding her husband, but it passed right through him. He grabbed her roughly by the arm, and she felt both pain and icy cold. She shrieked…she could feel the slashing, the cuts, and then…nothing. Her arms were light._

_She looked down. Her arms were gone._

Mio fell to the floor in utter agony. She felt their pain as though she were them…just like the girl at the lake. She slowly stood up, camera in hand. Tears began to burn into her eyes. "I'm…I'm sorry…"

The camera's light flashed. Flash. Flash. Reload. Flash. The ghost's screams were loud, but she could hardly hear over the beating of her own heart and the pounding in her head. Soon, the spirits had vanished, and there was a loud sound of something hitting the ground. She looked down and saw a small key there. This was it! The key to the room she needed to get to. She grabbed the key and hurried back to the main hall.

She took a deep breath. She knew that the roped ghost would be there. She had to be quick. She flung open the door and ran inside, practically sprinting across the room. The rope ghost was too slow…he would never catch her. She got to the other side unscathed and went out into the garden. With a heavy sigh and her heart pounding in her ears once more, Mio went back up the rain-soaked steps and back to the room.

As she entered the first room after the long hallway, she heard a soft voice and turned. A man was there, a past spirit. _Munakata_…_did you find Itsuki?_ the spirit asked.

"Itsuki?" she asked. The white haired boy?

She walked over to the bookshelf and was almost hit by a falling book. She reached down to take it and was hit by another vision.

_The twins looked over where they stood behind their father and waited for the two men to come closer after they closed the large doors to the house. One of them was much younger, maybe 18 or 19 years. The other was much older, around 30. The two men walked closer to Ryokan and the girls. The older man bowed. "My name is Seijiro Makabe, and this is my young assistant Ryozo Munakata. We have come to study this village."_

**Ropes. Pain. Cutting. **

"_Of course, gentlemen," Ryokan said, bowing. _

**A huge hole in the ground. Candles. A ritual not to be spoken about.**

_Ryozo, the younger of the two, glanced over at the young teenage girls with black hair and almond eyes. Sae gave a slight smile, then bowed her head. Yae looked up at the young man. He reminded her of Itsuki, before his hair turned white. She gave him a frightened and anxious look, then bowed her head as well, beside her sister. As Yae glanced out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a blossom fall from the tree and land on Seijiro's shoulder._

**The older man being cut. **

**His blood hitting the ground. **

**Being thrown into the dark hole.**

"_Come, Mr. Makabe and Mr. Munakata. We have rooms for you. Yae, Sae, show these gentlemen to their rooms. I need to speak with someone about the Kusabi…," Ryokan quietly said, walking past them. The young girls took the men to their rooms._

**Kusabi. The wedge.**

**The ritual that cannot be spoken about**…_it is here…_

Mio came out of the vision, her head reeling. She shook her head fiercely. "I have to find Mayu," she said, and hurried into the next room. As she made her way to the other end of the room, where the locked door was, a sudden body began to appear on the ground. It was motionless, and blurry. A spirit.

However, when she approached it, the spirit did not move. Mio shrugged and unlocked the door, quickly going inside. There was a huge display of small dolls all lined up. Two of the dolls' heads were missing. As Mio inspected them, a voice startled her.

"We didn't want to perform the ritual…" the voice moaned. "So we ran away…" Mio looked over and saw a wooden drawing that was used to conceal others over at the other end of the room. In a reflection of candlelight, Mio could see a woman in a kimono…holding something round in her hand. Like a ball…or a head.

Mio approached the screen slowly, her heart pounding. "But everyone…died…" the voice moaned.

A hand on her camera, Mio turned the corner around the screen and gasped. "Mayu!" she said, kneeling. Her sister was there, laying on the ground. Mio gathered her up in her arms.

Mayu looked up at her sister. "Mio…" she mumbled.

"What happened?" Mio asked, panic in her voice.

"Something was calling me…" Mayu said, dreamily. "Telling me to come back…and perform the ritual again…"

"The ritual?" Mio asked. Mayu suddenly pressed her face into Mio's breasts. "Mayu…"

"Stay with me! Forever…and ever…"

Mio nodded. "Of course…we promised. Now, let's get out of here," she said, helping Mayu to stand up. They had a long night ahead of them, but at least they were together again.


End file.
